Many desert environments are used as testing grounds for robots that will eventually be deployed for space exploration. Specifically, many deserts are considered to be substantially similar to the environment of the surface of Mars. The robotics technologies being developed for future planetary exploration are tested in deserts like the Read more…
While tumbleweeds probably aren’t the first things that come to mind when you think about locomotion in the desert, wind-powered movement is an underrated and sustainable strategy to travel over aeolian (wind-shaped) environments. Tumbleweed, a robot prototype built by Israeli designer Shlomi Mir, is designed to be robust and adaptive Read more…
These robots are noteworthy for how they intereact with their environment, rather than how they locomote over sand. 1. BeBot A new robot called the BeBot is designed to help clean up smaller plastic waste, traveling back and forth on beach surfaces sifting through the sand’s top layer. As the Read more…
The study concerning animal locomotion over granular surfaces (here) inspired me to look into animal adaptations to travelling over (or through) sand, as well as robots designed to mimic them. The sidewinder snake is one of the most iconic desert animals, mostly due to its distinctive movement pattern (“sidewinding”). Researchers Read more…
Maximizing performance over granular surfaces Looking at two research studies concerning robot locomotion over sand and other natural substrates, we observe some common pieces of advice: Robots attempting to move across sandy terrain should move their legs more slowly, especially if the sand is loosely packed. The speed of the Read more…