Six sense

Swarms of beetle-like robots using advanced sensory motor control technology could one day be used to crawl over the rubble of disaster areas in search of survivors.

The rescue robots are just one of the possible outcomes of a three-year research project at Edinburgh University, where a team of engineers is attempting to create a six-legged robot that can adapt its gait to complex terrain.

'Getting a robot to walk on flat territory is a well-solved problem,' said Alan Murray of the university's Neural Networks Group. 'When it gets bumpy it becomes difficult.'

Murray, with project leader Barbara Webb from the university's Insect Robotics Group, will design a robot that uses vision and tactile sensors to navigate homes, buildings and the outdoors. The robot will be equipped with a small camera and a vision algorithm that will allow it to see, recognise and avoid running into objects.

Read full story in The Engineer.