NEW ROBOT SWIMS, CRAWLS, RUNS OVER WATER

The new AmphiSTAR robot from Ben Gurion University swims, crawls over rough ground using a sprawling mechanism inspired by cockroaches, and runs over water like a basilisk lizard, the designers say.
The robot, which fits in the palm of a hand, holds four propellers on outboard fins. The propellers can be tilted out behind to push the robot through water or over water surfaces as its two air tanks keep it afloat.
The propellers also can be tilted vertically as wheels when the robot needs to crawl over grass, loose stones, or concrete at speeds of up to 11 feet per second.
The AmphiSTAR’s next generation will grow to a bigger size and be able swim underwater, its engineers say.
TRENDPOST: The new robot will have broad uses in military reconnaissance, search and rescue, and agricultural research, among other applications.
 Photo: David Zarrouk, Bioinspired and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Ben Gurion University of the Negev