Plenty of robot designs take inspiration from biological symptoms, but a research team from Tel Aviv University has gone one step further in designing a robot that is able to ‘hear’ using the actual ear of an insect.
The interdisciplinary study could be a step towards advanced cyborgs – designs or beings that have both organic and biomechatronic body parts.
The researchers said that they wanted to explore how biological sensing components could be integrated into technological systems, and they chose hearing as this is simpler than other senses such as smell or sight.
Essentially, they replaced the robot’s usual electronic microphone with the dead locust’s ear.
This was used to detect signals from the environment – sound waves moving through the air in this case.
These signals were converted using a specially designed chip and relayed to the robot, which responded accordingly.
In practical terms, the researchers were able to have the robot move forward when they clapped once and backwards when they clapped twice.
Biological systems more efficient than electronic ones
Dr Ben M. Maoz explained that biological systems generally tend to be much more efficient than corresponding mechanical and electronic ones in terms of both sensitivity and energy consumption.
In terms of energy use in particular, the consumption by biological systems is often ‘negligible’ compared to electronic ones, he continued.
A typical laptop could use around 100 watts per hour, for example, while the more powerful human brain runs on about 20 watts of biologically generated energy for the entire day.
He said that the experiment could pave the way for more sensory integrations between insects and robots, and could even eventually make some bulkier, more energy-hungry, traditional robotic components redundant.
“Nature is much more advanced than we are, so we should use it,” Dr Maoz added.
Building on the theory, we could apply other biological sense systems to robotic systems, including sight, smell and touch.
Some animals have incredible senses compared to our own and also to mechanical systems on the same or similar scale.
Dogs can use their amazingly sensitive noses to sniff out drugs or explosives, for example, while other animals can detect diseases or sense earthquakes before they happen.
The Ear-on-a-Chip device that was designed to link the locust ear and the robot could be the first step in designing robots that could match these natural super-senses.
Today’s news was brought to you by TD SYNNEX – the UK’s number one solutions distributor.
Read more of our latest Industry Updates news stories
