How far can a robot the size of your thumb jump? If you think the answer is “not very,” prepare to think again. A team fromHarvard University led by professor Robert J.Wood has created a micro insect robot with an astonishing jumping ability: 1,4 meters, or 23 times its body length.
The secret behind this feat? An artificial “tail” inspired by tiny creatures called Springtails, hexapod organisms that may look like insects but actually belong to a different group. These tiny animals, rarely exceeding 2 millimeters in length, are true champions of jumping in the natural world. And now, thanks to biomimicry, insect robots are learning their tricks, opening up possibilities for exploration that until recently would have seemed like science fiction.
The secret of the jump is in the “tail”
Springtails, as mentioned, are tiny creatures that populate the undergrowth, feeding on decomposing organic matter. To put it that way, they almost sound repellent. But no: the biomimetics He always has great lessons for us.
Despite their microscopic size (just 2 millimetres), they are capable of making impressive leaps of up to 102 millimetres, about 50 times their body length.
Their superpower lies in a tail-like appendage called furcula. This structure, normally folded under the body and kept in tension by another element called retinaculum, works like a loaded spring. When the springtail releases its furcula, it snaps forcefully against the ground, catapulting the little animal into the air in a matter of milliseconds.
Harvard engineers replicated this mechanism by adding it to an existing robot called HAMR (acronym for Harvard Ambulatory MicroRobot). This little technological marvel, just 4,4 centimetres long, was already capable of moving on four legs at a speed of 8,4 body lengths per second.
A light and efficient jumper
The artificial wishbone applied to the insect robot consists of a pusher arm held under the rear part of the body by a system of parallel links made of shape memory alloy actuators under tension. When this arm is released electronically, it hits the ground with force, projecting the robot upwards in just 14 milliseconds.
In laboratory tests, the 2,2-gram insect robot achieved a maximum horizontal jumping distance of 1,4 meters. With the added wishbone, the robot measures 6,1 centimeters, so This leap is equivalent to 23 body lengths.
This result exceeds the jumping distance of any insect of the same size, although it is only half that of another similarly sized jumping robot developed previously. However, that other robot weighs 20 times more than the HAMR modified, making it much less energy efficient.
Insect Robots, A Future of Exploration
It `s important to note that HAMR can still walk as well as he always has. The ability to jump could be useful for tasks such as crossing gaps, overcoming obstacles, or even bumping into light obstacles to move them.
Possible future applications for the descendants of this insect robot? Inspecting dangerous areas, searching for survivors trapped in rubble in disaster situations, exploring other planets. Quite a leap, no doubt about it.
