Stand by for invasion of robotic bugs
IT SOUNDS like a story from the latest Transformers film, but a robotic fly and a mechanical millipede able to spy on enemy targets are fast becoming a reality.
Bringing a new meaning to the term bugging device, the United States army is developing an array of robotic insects designed to conduct surveillance missions.
The US navy has also turned to nature to improve its spying power. Naval scientists are creating an underwater drone designed to swim like a tuna fish.
The GhostSwimmer – which many observers have commented appears to resemble a shark more than a tuna – is 1.5 metres long and weighs about 45kg.
It can dive to a depth of about 90m and was tested this month at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia.
In an important breakthrough, army scientists revealed that they had invented a pair of robotic wings only 3 to 5 centimetres long.
‘‘We demonstrated that we can actually create lift,’’ said Ron Polcawich, the scientist who leads the team at the Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Maryland. ‘‘We know this structure has the potential to fly.’’
The wings are made of lead zirconium titanate, a material that creates an electric charge under an applied pressure or can be made to move under an applied voltage or electric field. The wings bend and flap when voltage is applied.
The team has also designed ultrasonic motors that measure 2 to 3 millimetres in diameter and sets of tiny robotic legs for a millipede-like robot that simulate crawling when voltage is applied.
The robotic legs and wings already work, but Polcawich, a doctor in materials science and engineering, said that it might take another 10 to 15 years of research and development to produce fully functional robotic insects. The problems include how to make sure a fly is able to stabilise itself
A military minder shows off the GhostSwimmer at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia. if hit by a gust of wind mid-flight.
A real bug, when flying in wind, ‘‘doesn’t instantaneously stabilise itself,’’ Polcawich said in an article recently published on the US army’s official website.
‘‘It will tumble, tumble, and then stabilise itself.’’
His group of scientists, which has a rather complicated title – the piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems team, have been collaborating with Professor Robert Wood, at Harvard University, who has further developed a robotic fly.
The university’s ‘‘RoboFly’’, however, is almost three times larger than the army version. The smaller the mechanical device, the more intricate are the aerodynamic problems.
Polcawich said that more collaboration with academic and industrial researchers might speed up the research.
The US navy’s underwater tuna drone follows the principles of ‘‘biomimicry’’. By mirroring the swimming movements of a real tuna, its designers hope to harness a method of propulsion far quieter, more efficient and stealthier than a conventional ship propeller.
‘‘It swims just like a fish does by oscillating its tail fin back and forth,’’ said Michael Rufo, of Boston Engineering, a company working with the navy on the project.
During recent tests, the fake fish collected data on tides, currents, wakes and weather conditions. The robot is capable of operating autonomously for extended periods of time, the US navy said. Alternatively, it can be controlled via laptop with a 150m tether. It has been developed by the US navy’s rapid innovation cell project, which was founded in 2012 to allow junior sailors to contribute technological ideas.
‘‘We are harnessing the brainpower and talents of junior sailors,’’ said Captain Jim Loper, department head for concepts and innovation at navy warfare development command.
‘‘Our mantra is: ‘You have permission to be creative.’ We want our people to go out there and dream big dreams and put them into action. We want to see projects like this replicated throughout the fleet. The fusion of the deckplate brainpower with support of the most senior leadership in the navy is going to keep us moving forward.’’