FiloBot, a plant-inspired robot that shoots up like a vine plant

Innovation meets nature. A new innovative plant-inspired robot has been developed that climbs up structures just like climbing vines. This new innovation is named as FiloBot and has been developed by Emmanuela Dle Dottore and her team.

The team utilises a combination of plant behaviours like phototropism, negative phototropism and gravitropism and utilises these naturally occurring behaviours in high-tech robots.

The tests for FiloBot have been successful and displayed remarkable adaptability that adjusts its growth trajectory dynamically in response to moving light intensity.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Also Read |NASA’s orbiter ‘pings’ ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon

FiloBot: Nature-inspired robot that can revolutionise robotics

FiloBot is different from conventional climbing robots as it doesn’t depend on pre-programmed movements. It instead absorbs 3D printing filament through its head and extends its length over time, just like a creeper.

"By equipping autonomous systems with transportable additive manufacturing techniques merged with bioinspired behavioural strategies, future robots can navigate unstructured and dynamic environments and even be capable of self-building infrastructure,”emphasised Del Dottore.

This new innovation has opened new potential impact of technology that can be applied in robotics, where adaptability and responsiveness redefine the capabilities of climbing robots.

Also Read |Turkey’s first astronaut launched on flight to International Space Station

Similar innovation has been led by Jessica Burgner-Kahrs at the University of Toronto Mississauga where her team has been working on developing snake-like robots that can be utilised in medical surgeries.

These robots are designed to be slender, flexible and extensible hands that could enable doctors to access difficult-to-reach places within the human body, offering a significant advancement in medical procedures.

If these robots are developed to their full potential, they can revolutionise the medical field by navigating intricate paths around vital tissues, making previously inoperable cases feasible.

Burgner-Kahrs highlights the transformative impact, stating, "Previously inoperable brain tumours might suddenly become operable."

Also Read |Japan's 'Moon Sniper' successfully lands on lunar surface, but solar cells not generating power

The development extends to semi-autonomous models, which, guided by surgeons, could use sensors to avoid obstacles, enhancing the precision and safety of surgeries.

A similar snake-like robot was unveiled by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which was specifically crafted to work on rough terrains of our solar system’s planets and moons.

The robot named Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS 1.0) is engineered to navigate diverse landscapes, including ice, sand, cliff walls, deep craters and lava tubes.

All these developments in plant-inspired and snake-like robots are significant steps in robotics that are inspired by nature and developed in labs.

(With inputs from agencies)