Skip to main content

Odd new robot does ‘the worm’ to dance its way over sand, gravel, mud, and water

Crawling, swimming and climbing with a 3D printed wave producing robot (SAW)
If you’re searching for a unique robot concept, look no further than the new Single-Actuator Wave robot created by researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. They’ve built a bio-inspired robot that creates forward motion via a “continuously advancing” transverse wave. To put it in less scientific terms, it’s a worm robot that moves forward by doing the worm dance.

“It turns out that the wave is a very efficient mechanism for moving on tough surfaces, such as sand, gravel, mud, rubble and many others,” Dr. David Zarrouk, who led the project, tells Digital Trends. “[Our robot] has a low center of gravity and can overcome many obstacles [more easily than comparable systems]. It can even swim, which makes it very versatile.”

While the wave motion is similar to the means by which creatures like snakes move (albeit flipped the other way around), it bears most resemblance to the locomotion method of tiny ocean organisms which propel themselves through the water using flagella.

The SAW robot is powered by a single motor that rotates a spine-like helix, embedded inside a series of 3D printed plastic links. As the chain-like links touch the ground, they rotate — thereby pushing the robot forward.

For Dr. Zarrouk what is most exciting about his creation is how easily it can scale up and down. But while it could definitely have advantages at a larger size, it’s on the smaller end of the spectrum where he thinks it could be most significant.

“The robot could be as small as just one centimeter,” he says. “At that size we think it could be a very useful tool for medicine, since it would be possible for someone to swallow it, and then for it to act as a self-propelled capsule for endoscopy or even taking biopsies. The doctor would then be able to control its movement in terms of whether it travels forward or backward — both of which it is capable of traveling in.”

So trippy and useful, huh? That’s our kind of robot!

Editors' Recommendations

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Meet the game-changing pitching robot that can perfectly mimic any human throw
baseball hitter swings and misses

Who’s your favorite baseball pitcher? Shane McClanahan? Sandy Alcantara? Justin Verlander? Whoever you said, two of the top sports-tech companies in the U.S. -- Rapsodo and Trajekt Sports -- have teamed up to build a robot version of them, and the results are reportedly uncannily accurate.

Okay, so we’re not talking about walking-talking-pitching standalone robots, as great a sci-fi-tinged MLB ad as that would be. However, Rapsodo and Trajekt have combined their considerable powers to throw a slew of different technologies at the problem of building a machine that's able to accurately simulate the pitching style of whichever player you want to practice batting against -- and they may just have pulled it off, too.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more
CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation
Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Read more