Scientists have developed robotic insects equipped with sensors that replicate organic digestive processes to meet nutritional requirements, utilizing a Janus interface for a controlled delivery of essential nutrients and gliding effortlessly across water surfaces like a water strider.
In 2017, DARPA launched an initiative to create a network of thousands of floating sensors designed to collect real-time data on various environmental parameters, including ocean temperature, sea state, and vessel traffic, as well as information about industrial vessels, planes, and marine mammals transiting through the ocean.
Referred to as the “Operation Other Than Typical,” related in essence to a multitude of sensor-packed gadgets gathering data throughout various domains, the challenge webpage states that sensor information can be uploaded to government-owned cloud storage for evaluation, assisting naval missions while also being open to analysis bodies and industry issues?
For over a decade, Professor Seokheum Choi at Binghamton College has been dedicated to developing a groundbreaking tool, supported by the Office of Naval Research. Researchers at Now Choi’s team have successfully designed a miniature underwater robot that can navigate across the seafloor, driven by an innovative power source: onboard microorganisms rather than conventional energy sources such as solar, kinetic, or thermal power.
Researchers are aggressively pushing the boundaries of innovation by exploring various groundbreaking approaches to empower autonomous underwater robots that can harness energy directly from their aquatic surroundings, according to a newly published report. Harnessing solar power, kinetic energy from ocean waves or currents, osmotic pressure in seawater, thermal differentials, and humidity-driven forces is key to unlocking these innovative approaches.
Despite the groundbreaking potential of these methods, the inconsistent supply of sunlight and mechanical energy in marine environments, coupled with the relatively modest power outputs generated by salinity gradients, thermal differences, and humidity fluctuations, poses significant hurdles to overcome. The current limitations in energy harvesting technologies severely restrict the capacity to guarantee reliable and consistent performance for aquatic robots.
Binghamton College
The power plant of the brand-new system is centered around a microbial gas cell utilizing spore-forming microorganisms commonly referred to as… Bacillus subtilis A miniature biogenerator inspired by the intricate workings of organic digestion, harnessing natural waste to produce electricity through the synergy of catalytic reduction and oxidation reactions.
“When conditions are conducive, microorganisms thrive as vegetative cells, generating energy; however, when environmental factors are unfavorable – such as extreme temperatures or limited nutrients – they revert to a dormant state of spore formation.” “In this way, we will extend the operational lifespan.”
The anode in the gas cell is typically made of polypyrrole-coated carbon fabric, selected for its excellent electrical conductivity and ability to facilitate bacterial colonization. The electron-accepting cathode features carbon fabric adorned with polypyrrole-coated platinum, selected for its catalytic properties that accelerate oxygen reduction. The final piece of the puzzle is a Nafion 117 membrane, employed for its selectivity in facilitating proton exchange.
The in-built power plant also features adjacent hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces that facilitate a one-way flow of natural substrates from seawater, enabling the production of vitamin-rich bacterial spores.
A single gas cell setup achieved a peak energy density of 135 μW cm⁻² and an open-circuit voltage of 0.54 V, but scaling to a six-unit array led to a notable drop in power output, with the energy era barely exceeding the milliwatt threshold. Although this output may seem minor compared to other challenges, it is still significant enough to be relevant for the small DC motor and its accompanying sensors on the platform.
Researchers define easy aquatic locomotion achieved by the robotic’s motor-driven rotational pressure, which exerts a response force on the platform, propelling it forward across the water floor without direct pressure on the water itself. The hydrophobic attribute contributes to the primary buoyancy force. The tiny bot’s legs feature a hydrophobic coating, allowing them to glide smoothly over the water’s surface like a fish.
The idea is to enable the deployment of small-scale data collection units anywhere in the world, rather than confining them to a fixed location throughout their entire operational cycle.
“While this innovation successfully showcases self-powered aquatic mobility, untapped potential lies in developing practical applications such as real-time localization, sensor-based perception, and efficient signal transmission within aquatic robotics.” Significant efforts to enhance long-term efficiency and adaptability in diverse environmental settings are essential. The current prototype effectively validates the concept behind the innovative design.
The paper’s findings have been formally published in a reputable academic journal. .
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