NEW FRONTIERS OF BIOROBOTICS: IN STOCKHOLM AT ICRA 2016 ROBOTS ABLE TO DIVE AND SEARCH IN UNDERWATER HABITATS

The Biorobotics Institute of Sant’Anna School participated in the most important international conference on robotics ICRA2016 Stockholm, and presented some of the recent developments in robotics technology. That is the case of only one leg robot, although very efficient, and distinguished by its unusual appearance, consisting of some kind of small box with a leg: it is the first robot able to walk, run and  jump underwater, capturing the attention of ICRA2016 audience, in Stockholm.

The little robot has no name yet and it currently represents only a first step: it was developed in Italy, by the group of Biorobotics Institute of Sant'Anna School, coordinated by Cecilia Laschi. "We were able to demonstrate the mathematical model of underwater legged locomotion, and the rapid locomotion over the seabed," said Cecilia Laschi.

"The submarine robots built to date are designed for offshore exploration, they do not walk on the seabed" continued Cecilia Laschi. “Robots able to walk and even run underwater will help in the search for oil fields or it can become an instrument at the service of marine biologists, for example, to study life on the coral reefs. The robot crab could be an ideal model for developing the project submitted at ICRA 2016, but, this is just the beginning”.