October 6, 2014European scientists developing a robotic tree

The PLANTOID robot, with its "trunk" and sensor/leaf-bearing branches

Image Gallery (4 images)

The animal kingdom contains many examples of efficient forms of locomotion, so it's no wonder that we've been seeing a lot of animal-inspired robots – recent examples have included a robotic cheetah, fish and snake. Plants, however, just sit there ... don't they? Actually, they do move, just not necessarily in a Point A to Point B manner. With that in mind, Europe's PLANTOID project consortium is now in the process of developing a tree-like robot. Its descendants might ultimately find use in the exploration of other planets.

The base of the PLANTOID robot is a 3D-printed plastic "trunk," which houses a microprocessor. Extending out from the sides of that trunk are four plastic branches, the leaves of which are actually sensors capable of detecting and measuring factors such as temperature, humidity, gravity, touch, and chemical elements.

The robot's two roots, however, are where the real action is.

The robot on display, showing its tentacle-like and "growing" roots (bottom left and right, respectively)

One of those roots, which bends like a tentacle, has a tactile-sensor-equipped tip. Using that sensor, as it squirms its way through the dirt, the root can change direction when it encounters solid obstacles ... much like a natural root does. It could also be equipped to sense and avoid toxic substances in the ground.

The other root (seen below) is actually able to grow down into the substrate. It has a rotating tip, which extrudes a coiled cord behind it as it turns. The coils join together to form a tube-like root, which continues to grow as long as the tip keeps turning.

In its present form, the PLANTOID robot serves mainly as a proof-of-concept model. Down the road, however, the technology developed for its roots could lead to better endoscopic surgical tools, or for tools used in locating victims buried in debris at disaster sites.

Complete PLANTOID-type robots could be also used to monitor things like soil conditions and pollutant levels here on Earth, or they could even find use gathering environmental data on other planets. Once deposited by an unmanned rover, a PLANTOID could secure itself in place via its roots, then set about sensing the air and soil.

The project is being led by the Istituto Italia di Tecnologia, with the other members consisting of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (Spain), the Università degli Studi di Firenze (Italy) and EPFL (Switzerland). It began in 2012, and is due to wrap up next April. In the meantime, the researchers are looking into adding other functions to the roots, and devising ways in which the robots could draw power from their environment.

Sources: CORDIS, PLANTOID

欧洲科学家开发仿生树木机器人

10月6日，2014European科学家开发一种机器人tree

的PLANTOID机器人，它的“树干”和传感器

叶轴承分公司

图片廊（4图像）

动物王国中含有的有效形式很多例子运动的，所以这也难怪，我们已经看到了大量的动物为灵感的机器人 - 最近的例子已经包括了机器人猎豹，鱼和蛇。植物，然而，只是坐在那里......不是吗？其实，他们根本动，只是不一定在A点到B点的方式。考虑到这一点，欧洲的PLANTOID项目财团正处于开发树状机器人的过程。它的后代最终可能会发现其他行星的探测使用。

的PLANTOID机器人的基座是3D打印的塑料“树干”，里面有一个微处理器。从躯干的侧面延伸出的四个塑料树枝，树叶其中实际上传感器能够检测和测量因素，如温度，湿度，重力，触觉和化学元素。

机器人的两个根，但是，是其中实际行动。

上显示的机械手，显示出其触手状和“生长”根（底部左侧和右侧，分别）

其中的一个根，其中弯曲像触须，具有一个触摸-sensor配备尖端。使用该传感器，它通过扭动污垢的方式，根可以改变方向，遇到坚实的障碍物时......就像一个天然的根一样。它也可以被配备成感测和避免在地有毒物质。

另一根（下面所示）实际上是能够成长向下到衬底。它有一个旋转的尖端，其挤压螺旋线背后的事实。线圈连接在一起，形成一个筒状根，继续只要成长为尖端不停转动。

2-2

在目前的形式下，PLANTOID机器人主要是作为概念验证的模型。下山的路，但是，对于其根源开发的技术能够带来更好的内窥镜手术工具，或用于定位受害者在灾难现场被埋在废墟中使用的工具。

完备PLANTOID型机器人也可以用于监视像土在地球上的条件和污染水平，或者他们甚至可以找到使用在其他行星上收集环境数据。一旦通过一个无人月球车存放，一个PLANTOID可以通过它的根保护自己的地方，再设置一下检测空气和土壤中。

该项目正率领因诺琴蒂基金会意大利迪TECNOLOGIA，与其他成员组成的研究所的加泰罗尼亚生物工程（西班牙）UNIVERSITA德利阿布鲁Studi住宅迪佛罗伦萨（意大利）和洛桑联邦理工学院（瑞士）。它始于2012年，并于明年四月收官。在此期间，研究人员正在研究加入其他功能的根源，并制定方法，使机器人能够从环境中吸取功率

来源：CORDIS，PLANTOID