Our Robo-Insect Overlords Won’t Walk on Water, They’ll Hop

Image Source: NYU.edu

An international team of scientists have created a robot that can walk and jump on water.

I, for one, welcome our water-walking robot overlords.

Robotic engineers from Harvard and Seoul National University have made an incredible leap forward in robot design: bots that can float, walk, and even hop across the water’s surface.

Foolish scientists – water was our one defense!

The team was inspired by water striders, the fascinating insect that glides in short bursts across lakes, ponds, and other still bodies of water. Taking a close look at how the bugs move inspired the design of the robot.

Water striders are equipped with special hairs on their feet, called microsetae, that trap air to create a sort of “cushion” that they float on. To move, the striders twist their curved feet with at a specific angle, with just less than the force it would take to break the water’s surface tension.

If these insect-inspired droids get out of hand, at least we’ll know how to stop them.

You can see how the engineers replicated the unique insect in the video below:

So there you go! If you find yourself by a lake sometime this summer, you can regale your friends with some water strider trivia. They’ll love it, I’m sure.

Source: CNet