A mobile robot, designed with spider-like legs, can explore terrain that is beyond human reach. With a camera and measurement equipment on board, the robot will provide emergency responders with an image of the situation on the ground, along with any data about poisonous substances. As a real spider would, it keeps four legs on the ground at all times while the other four turn and ready themselves for the next step.
Hydraulically operated bellows drives serve as joints and keep limbs mobile. With no muscles to stretch their legs, these creatures build up high levels of body pressure that they then use to pump fluid into their limbs. Shooting fluid into the legs extends them.
This high-tech assistant is still a prototype, but future plans envision its use as an exploratory tool in environments that are too hazardous for humans, or too difficult to get to. After natural catastrophes and industrial or reactor accidents, it can help responders, for instance, by broadcasting live images or tracking down hazards or leaking gas.
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