Festo, an engineering firm in Germany, has created what may be either a dream robot or a nightmare, depending on your view of those small insect we refer to as ants. But this cyber version of Mother Nature has a few more things under the proverbial hood than the stock creatures sports.
To start with, these not so diminutive robotic creatures are constructed with 3D printed bodies and ceramic limbs. Mounted on the undercarriage are optical sensors originating from, strangely enough, computer mice. Instead of simple eyes the cyber ants are equipped with stereo cameras, and on board wireless networks keep them in check with the queen ant (or processor, as the case may be).
The cyber ants measure about the size of a human hand, and they eat by touching their metal antennae to electrified metal rails placed at strategic locations throughout their domain. Once their cells are full of a charge, the cyber ants are off to create more swarm enabled mayhem as needed.
Swarm, you ask? Oh, did I fail to mention that the cyber ants are learning to work together? But relax, they aren’t meat eaters – yet…
source:PopSci
