The world of robotics is a weird and wacky place. For every successful bot that delivers on its promise to change the trajectory of human evolution, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of well-intentioned prototypes that never make it out of the lab. Despite this disheartening fact, researchers and engineers across the globe continue to hone their skills and create new and imaginative robots. In this roundup, we shine a light on three newly developed robotic innovations that might not change the world but are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Plantolin fights deforestation by pooping seeds
Engineers at the University of Surrey have created a pangolin-inspired robot that is engineered to autonomously plant seeds. The idea for this unique robot came from Dorthy, a teenager in California who won the 2024 Natural Robotics Contest. Dorothey was inspired to design the robot after learning about how deforestation contributes to climate change and made it her mission to help restore forests around the world. In a recent quote, Dorothy said, “Pangolins spend a lot of their time digging in the ground, so I thought a planter robot inspired by the pangolin's behavior would be very natural.”
The robot, called the Plantolin, features two wheels, plywood scales, and a tail for balancing. It’s two front claws dig the hole for the seeds, which are stored in the body of the robot and “pooped” out the back as the Plantolin moves.
Dr Robert Siddall, a roboticist at the University of Surrey who built the Plantolin, added, “In the wild, large animals will cut paths through the overgrowth and move seeds. This doesn't happen nearly as much in urban areas like the South East of England – so there's definitely room for a robot to help fill that gap.”
Flying pooper scooper makes cleaning up after your dog more exciting
Speaking of poop, an ambitious dog owner/maker has created the world’s first aerial-bound, self-guided dog poop removal system. The Poopcopter was unveiled at Minnedemo40, a technology showcase that highlights the talent of seven Minnesota creators. Caleb Olson engineered The Poopcopter after growing tired of picking up after his corgi, Twinkie. Previous iterations of the project included a dog-poop detector that utilized security cameras to log where Twinkie had pooped, as well as a laser-enabled robot arm that directed a beam of light at the poop.
The Poopcopter, which is essentially a mashup of a drone and a collection mechanism, works by scanning an area using computer vision and machine learning. When a poop is identified, it performs a precision landing, opens the collection box, picks up the poop, and closes before flying away. “It’s kind of like a UFO, but it’s abducting dog poop instead of people,” said Caleb during the live demonstration.
The prototype is still a little buggy, but once it has been perfected, The Poopcopter will be the must-own accessory for dog owners across the country.
Soft robotic finger promises more precise medical examinations
Doctors may soon have a new robotic aid that can help make physical exams more effective. Developed by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China, this soft robotic “finger” can perform a variety of tasks, including taking a patient’s pulse and checking for abnormal lumps. The finger is designed to mimic the gentle movements of human hands, unlike rigid robotic fingers that could potentially cause harm to patients. Additionally, the researchers believe that the robot will make uncomfortable exams more relaxing for patients, although I’m not convinced that being poked and prodded by a robotic finger would put anyone at ease.
According to the research team, the machine “contains conductive fiber coils with two parts—a coil wound on each air chamber of the device’s bending actuators (the parts that enable it to move) and a twisted liquid metal fiber mounted at the fingertip. By measuring properties that affect how the device’s electrical current flows, the team found that they could monitor, in real time, how far the finger bends as it touches an object and the force at the fingertip.”
The team recently published their findings in a paper titled “Toward human-like touch sense via a bioinspired soft finger with self-decoupled bending and force sensing.”
In a recent quote, Hongbo Wang, a sensing technologies researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China and an author of the study, said, “By further development to improve its efficiency, we also believe that a dexterous hand made of such fingers can act as a ‘Robodoctor’ in a future hospital, like a physician. Combined with machine learning, automatic robotic examination and diagnosis can be achieved, particularly beneficial for these undeveloped areas where there is a serious shortage in health workers.”
The Lighter Side of Manufacturing
Created by the editors of Plant Services and New Equipment Digest, The Lighter Side of Manufacturing is a feel-good blog that showcases how advances in science, math, engineering, and technology are making our world more whimsical. Here’s another post that is guaranteed to brighten your day.
Creepy robot hand brings Thing from The Addams Family to life
This autonomous crawling hand has five fingers and can grasp multiple objects at the same time.