Morphin' Minibots
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday February 5, 2008
IN the classic sci-fi action film Terminator 2 the heroes are pursued by a killer robot (above) that can change its shape at will.
In the more recent Michael Bay explodarama Transformers, the world is threatened by giant robots that change from one form to another. Be afraid, scientists have just announced they've taken the first steps towards a technology that makes such machines possible.Admittedly their tiny prototypes aren't quite as imposing as Optimus Prime, but the journey of a thousand miles often starts with a single mechanical step.New Scientist reports researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been working on prototype "claytronic" robots.The robot consists of a number of small cylindrical units, each surrounded by a ring of electromagnets. By changing the configuration of the electromagnets the units roll around each other to make different shapes. Each unit can also use the electromagnet links to share power and information with the others.While only in its early days, the prototypes show the concept works.
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