New, Robot Locust Can Leap High into the Air

A new, robot locust may be just the thing when it comes to traversing tough terrain. Scientists have developed a locust-inspired robot that's capable of jumping twice as high as existing robots of its kind.

The new robot is named TAUB, which is short for Tel Aviv University and Ort Braude College. It's a total of five inches long and weighs less than an ounce. It can also jump an astonishing 11 feet high, which is more than twice the height of similar-sized robots. It can also cover a horizontal distance of 4.5 feet in one leap.

"Our locust-inspired miniature jumping robot is a beautiful example of bio-inspired technological innovation," said Amir Ayali, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Miniature robots are of special interest in the robotics field, attracting a lot of attention and research. The manufacture of tiny robots is cheap and efficient; their small size allows them to traverse difficult and unknown terrain; and many can be used in any given situation."

Like a locust, which uses stored mechanical energy to enhance the action of its leg muscles, the robot jumps by storing energy in its torsion springs.

This isn't all that the robot will be able to do, either. Researchers are currently working on perfecting a gliding mechanism that will enable the robot to extend its jumping rang and lower its landing impact.

The new robot could potentially be used to scout hard-to-reach areas and inform humans who happen to be in the field.

The findings are published in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

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