Little Robot Builds Ramp by Flinging Glue Covered Toothpicks and Shooting Foam

Posted on October 18, 2012

This little robot has two methods for building a ramp to get across a tall barrier. One method is to randomly shoot toothpicks with glue on them until there are enough (3,600 in this case) to cross the barrier.

The other method is to build up a ramp with casting foam it shoots from a dispenser attached to its back. The researchers from Harvard University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute used the building construction of animals - such as beavers, termites and weaver birds - as inspiration for the robot's ramp building techniques. Take a look:

The report, "Materials and Mechanisms for Amorphous Robotic Construction," was presented at the 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Vilamoura, Portugal.


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