This bot ’ s jumping mechanism behaves much like a basketball that gets inflated almost instantaneously . The flexible bottom then returns to its original shape .
NAME
DucTT
CREATORS
Jeffrey Friesen , ’ 13 , Ph . D . student , Jacobs School of Engineering | Coordinated Robotics Lab
NAME
THE ( AMAZING ) 3D-PRINTED
JUMPING ROBOT
CREATORS
Michael Tolley , assistant professor of mechanical engineering | Nicholas Bartlett , Ph . D . student in Harvard ’ s Microrobotics Laboratory
ORIGINS
Researchers were inspired by the way some organisms ’ bodies blend soft and hard materials . Mussels , for example , have a foot that starts out soft yet becomes rigid at the point of contact with rocks . Engineers brought this concept to the first-ever 3D-printed robot that transitions from a rigid core to a soft exterior . “ Bringing together soft and rigid materials will help create a new generation of fast , agile robots that are more robust and adaptable than their predecessors , and can safely work side by side with humans ,” says Tolley .
Got a catchier name for this guy ? Let us know @ ucsdalumni - # namethatbot
COMPOSITION
The robot is made of two nestled hemispheres , one of which has nine layers of stiffness that go from a flexible , rubberlike exterior to full rigidity near the core . Researchers struck a fine balance between hard and soft — where a fully rigid top would make for higher jumps , a more flexible top would survive impacts on landing , allowing the robot to be reused .
SUPERPOWERS
Powered by a mix of butane and oxygen , this bot is capable of more than 30 untethered jumps . In tests , the robot jumped six times its body height ( or 2 ½ feet ) and survived multiple falls from four feet — 10 times its body height !
ORIGINS
With Americans spending an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors , air quality is a major concern for public health . Researchers at UC San Diego ’ s Coordinated Robotics Lab developed the DucTT robot to navigate HVAC ( heating , ventilation and air conditioning ) systems better than current devices , which are similar to miniature street sweepers . DucTT was designed using principles of tensegrity , which uses components under pure tension and pure compression . “ Tensegrity robots have the advantage of being light and flexible ,” says Friesen . “ DucTT is built from lightweight tubes and cables arranged to provide an extensive range of motion with a small number of motors .”
SUPERPOWERS
Where other devices are unable to access more remote parts of air systems , DucTT uses an inchworm-like movement to explore ducts more efficiently and achieve a range of motion that can negotiate the intersection of two or more ducts .
PARTNERS IN SPACE
DucTT is funded by a grant from NASA , and is developed in collaboration with the tensegrity group at NASA / Ames Research Center .
36 TRITON | WINTER 2016