High-tech exploratory spiders created with 3D printer

Inspired by the naturally hydraulic limbs of the spider, scientists in Germany have created a robot spider to investigate high-risk environments.

The practical application of robots like these are undeniable. Major disasters like the damage at the Fukushima nuclear plant required the use of robots like these to access places that weren't safe for humans.

There are two big differences with these robots created at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA: they move in a way unlike other exploratory robots, and they're disposable.

The spiders are created using selective laser sintering (SLS) of plastics, a process that uses high-powered lasers to fuse a fine polyamide powder in thin layers, which allows the scientists to make vary detailed parts throughout the robot easily. It also creates an extremely lightweight object, since every part of it is made of the plastic.

"We can use SLS to produce one or even several legs in a single operation; this minimizes assembly effort, saves materials and reduces the time it takes to build a robot," said Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Becker, a scientist at IPA in Fraunhofer Research News. "With the modular approach, individual parts can be quickly swapped as well. Our robot is so cheap to produce that it can be discarded after being used just once — like a disposable rubber glove."

Like a spider, the robot always keeps four legs on the ground while the other four legs prepare for the next step, making the robots incredibly stable in uneven environments. Some models have also been fitted to jump, just like a spider.

This robot is still in the prototype stage, but the scientists who designed it are already planning how it could aid in natural disasters and where it could be of the greatest use to human-led operations.

(Photo: Frauenhofer.de)