United States developed the ability to adapt to a hazardous environment can self-repair robots

 

Technology News
 
U.S. scientists say they have developed a robot capable of self-repair, which allows scientists looking for people with "special skills" machine made a breakthrough, perhaps one day, in the human will, after the robot into space, Once they are damaged or faulty, they will be able to repair itself, to continue working.

This self-healing capabilities of the robot by a research team at Cornell University developed, it does not look like the movie "Star Wars" robot, but added more similar toys and nursery. This robot is molded by the four smart, not walk, no ability to speak, their actions still depends on human assistance. But the inventor said that this robot scientists have developed self-repair of the machines can be tangible evidence, which can be manufactured to meet the extremely poor or very far for humans to survive in an environment of the robot important concepts condition.

The four modules are robot side length of 10 cm (4 inches) of the cube, each side has a curved gap, which allows them to pass through the body 120 degree arc. Modules each side has an electromagnet, so that they can choose how to connect to each other and separated. After this modular robot can become self-adjustment pyramid, rectangular and square and other shapes. Each module has a tiny computer chip, computer chip incorporated into the work program of instructions instruct the robot.

This robot has a self-healing function modules can be manually placed near a "point of delivery." When the work begins, the robot first bent down to the top of a cube module on the table, then it bent the other side, from the point of delivery to get another cube module and place it into the first module top. By repeating this process, a corresponding rotation and converted cube module, the robot from the pile of modules, and these modules to create a similar shape with their modules.

With self-healing capabilities of the robot in science fiction though quite common, but in real life to be extremely difficult to create such a robot, which in technology and software are facing enormous challenges. Up to now, there are only two machines with a repair made public, but they are relatively simple one hand, on the other far less successful organisms. Definition of self-repair machines generally refers to a kind of self-creation capabilities of the machine, "recycling" machines and then be able to create another similar machine with them.

Reproduction is a prerequisite for the biosphere, while future generations of organisms with genetic changes, it should also have the ability to adapt.

Told AFP reporter interview, leading researchers Hodder & Lipson said the robot despite its limitations, but it is "self-healing machine is possible, self-replication is not limited to a living organism." The concept of strong evidence. The study was funded by NASA and others interested in the self repair system jointly funded units.

Lipson said: "People on the growing interest in high performance robot, I hope the machine can not only find the problem, but also self-repair, if you put a robot to Mars, some component fails, you certainly want to fix it You certainly do not want to because a little glitch gave up your exploration missions. "
In addition, the self-healing technology can also be used in those who have been sent to a hazardous environment of the robot body, such as theater or damaged nuclear reactors and other people can not survive place.