STUTTGART — Robotic ants that work together in swarms could be the future of factory production systems.
The developer, German technology firm Festo, said it was not only the unusual anatomy of real-world ants that inspired the bionic version; the collective intelligence of an ant colony was also something it wanted to replicate.
The bionic ants — about the size of a human hand — cooperate and coordinate their actions and movements to achieve a common aim, in the same way individual ants complete tasks for the whole colony. Festo said that in the future, production systems will be based on intelligent individual components that adjust themselves to different production demands by communicating with one another.
The ants are able to complete complex tasks, such as transporting large, heavy loads that they would not be able to achieve individually, by working together. The robot features a stereo camera and a floor sensor that, together, allow the ant to work out its location and identify objects to be grabbed by grippers at the front of its head.
The antennae double as chargers for the lithium batteries that power the ants’ movements. A radio module in the abdomen allows the ants to communicate with one another wirelessly. Just like their natural counterparts, the ants have six articulated legs.
Festo said the way the ants are constructed is unique too. The bodies of the bionic ants are made from a 3D printed plastic powder melted layer by layer with a laser. The circuitry is also 3D-printed on top of the body. Festo says this is the first time the techniques have been combined.
The ceramic legs and pincers are flexible actuators that move quickly and precisely without using much energy. Again, Festo said the application of this so-called “piezo” technology to miniature robots such as its bionic ants is a first.
The bionic ants are part of Festo’s Bionic Learning Network, where the technology firm works on transferring natural phenomena to engineering techniques and equipment. Festo said the factories of the future would have to produce customised products, meaning they would have to adapt to different production requirements.
Festo plans to exhibit its robotic ants this month at the world’s biggest industrial technology fair, Hannover Messe, where the company will also show other recent creations such as cooperative artificial butterflies. REUTERS
0
Comments