Many robotic systems depend on intricate control mechanisms, often powered by artificial intelligence, to manage their movements. These centralized “brains” can face delays in responding to environmental changes, leading to motions that are frequently perceived as stiff and mechanical.
However, a team of researchers from the FOM Institute for Molecular and Atomic Physics (AMOLF) in Amsterdam has created a novel type of robot that operates without a brain. This innovative robot can run, navigate obstacles, and even swim, all solely powered by ambient air flow.
The Physics of Movement
Alberto Comoretto, a roboticist at AMOLF and the lead author of the study, recounted an incident in his lab that sparked the idea for this groundbreaking robot. While working on another project, he bent a tube to restrict airflow, inadvertently causing the tube to oscillate at a high frequency, producing a loud noise. Intrigued by this reaction, Comoretto set up a high-speed camera to capture the tube’s movements and discovered that they stemmed from the interaction between the air pressure within the tube and its physical state.
The presence of a kink in the tube would lead to a rise in air pressure that displaced the kink further along the tube. This displacement resulted in a drop in pressure, allowing for the emergence of a new kink, thus initiating a continuous cycle of motion. Comoretto expressed his enthusiasm for this phenomenon, describing it as “self-sustaining, periodic, asymmetric motion.”
Notably, Comoretto found a parallel between his observations and historical work in airflow physics. He noted that the dynamics of the oscillating tube were analogous to the principles that inspired Peter Marshall, Doron Gazit, and Aireh Dranger when they created their renowned “Fly Guys” for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Furthermore, the patterns of asymmetry and periodicity observed in the tube’s movements resonate with fundamental movement patterns found in all living organisms, from single-celled creatures to humans.
