From mowing lawns and cleaning windows to lending a hand to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, robots are being designed to do an ever-expanding set of tasks. Now, Squishy Robotics, a Berkeley-based startup, has come up with squishy shape-shifting, sensory robots, with potential applications to provide critical information about disaster zones. The handy little bot, about two feet across, carries video cameras and electronic sensors within a ball-shaped lattice of rods and cables that cushion the sensitive gear from sharp blows — like smacking into the ground after falling from a great height. The robots are being developed for a number of tasks including remote monitoring and space exploration, but its primary applications are aimed at disaster response and situation awareness, which can save lives.
Engineers develop squishy robots designed to aid rescue in disaster areas
More of Today's Solutions
VR tech helps international team of surgeons separate twins with fused brains
In miraculous medical news, virtual reality (VR) has helped surgeons successfully separate conjoined twins with craniopagus. Craniopagus describes a condition where twins are born with fused brains. It is an incredibly rare condition, and—this probably ... Read More
Could “antivitamins” be the cure to antibiotic resistance?
The first naturally-occurring bacteria killer, penicillin, was discovered nearly a century ago and with it came the advent of a new class of medicines: antibiotics. Bacterial infections were the leading cause of death at the ... Read More
Rare yellow penguin is mystifying biologists
In December 2019, Belgian wildlife photographer Yves Adams had an exceptional stroke of luck while on a remote island in South Georgia. Adams was leading a two-month photography expedition through the South Atlantic and had ... Read More
This radio station plays ethereal ambient music made by trees
Silent tree activity, like photosynthesis and the absorption and evaporation of water, produces a small voltage in the leaves. In a bid to encourage people to think more carefully about their local tree canopy, sound ... Read More
