Teaching robots
Reverse curriculum: approaching the teaching of robots and automation.
Self sustaining robots
An interesting article was published in the new scientist on the 5th of November 2016. In this publication we read of self-sufficient soft robots. These are robots that digest food sources which provide them with the energy to do work.
They have a mouth made of a soft polymer membrane. The robot can suck in a whole belly full of water and biomatter. The system has an artificial gut, termed a microbial fuel cell. This microbial fuel cell is filled with microbes that break down the biomass and convert chemical energy into electrical energy. This electrical energy then powers the robot.
In this way the robots provides itself with enough energy to be self sustainable. The advantages of a self sustaining robot is that it does not need to be charged or even have batteries. Its power source is consuming biomass.
Such machines will be able to exist in inhospitable environments. Huge potentials in collecting garbage. Also Feeding in agricultural, Irrigation Systems and application in applying chemicals to crops.
New Scientist, 5 November 2016, page 24