Monday, June 30, 2008

Tufts joins the chembot creation challenge with $3.3M DARPA contract

By Mass High Tech Staff

Tufts University researchers have landed a $3.3 million contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop soft, chemical robots based on caterpillars.

The robots are intended to be able to squeeze into spaces as tiny as 1 centimeter, then morph back into something 10 times larger, and ultimately biodegrade. The Tufts team will design the “chembots” to be able to enter confined or complex spaces; follow cables, ropes or wires; and climb trees or other branched structures.

Such robots could gain entry to an improvised explosive device to gather information or potentially disable the device, according to the school. Other applications include landmine detection, search and rescue in hazardous conditions, and biomedical diagnosis. The robots will also be capable of carrying smaller versions of themselves for access to areas on an even smaller scale, according to the school.

The Tufts chembots will be based on the neuromechanical system of the Manduca sexta caterpillar, which gives it flexibility, climbing ability and scalability. Researchers plan for future versions of the robot to use biodegradable biopolymers and energy-saving wireless telemetry, the school said.

The project is based at Tufts’ advanced technologies laboratory, and will include experts in bio/tissue engineering, soft animal neuromechanics, micromechanical engineering, soft material characterization and modeling, wireless transmission of data and power, mixed mode integrated circuit design, and mobile robot navigation and sensor fusion.

Earlier this month, iRobot Corp. won a similar $3.3 million contract to create chembots. Bedford-based iRobot (Nasdaq: IRBT) will work with a team of Harvard University and MIT researchers on the project.