Spiders are the nature’s best architects. With the help of different strands of web, they can construct intricately designed structures due to their natural evolutionary tendency. One thing that very much helps them in this regard is their unique body structure that allows them to work around their web with ease and maintain balance. To use nature’s engineering abilities, Siemens has developed these intriguing spider robots that can use their manoeuvrability to construct new designs that were previously not possible.
SiSpis or Siemens Spiders as they have been named, have been made by Princeton University researchers in New Jersey. Just like spiders, they have multiple cameras and laser scanners to scan through their surroundings. Once they have gotten the hang of it, they can move around and create the design with the help of plastic-like substance made from cornstarch and sugarcane. The mechanism is very much similar to the working of a conventional 3D printer but with much more stability and control than the previous designs.
Also, since a spider bot is able to team up with other bots, they can get things done in a faster and more efficient way. Using algorithms, they can be made to plan with each other and execute construction orders at a rapid pace. Also, since 3D printing is generally considered a slower process, they can also work in shifts as their batteries will get low after a few hours of work. Just like human workers, they can be relieved by a fresher robot with the same specifications.
Currently, they can only create simple shapes with the help of this base construction material and need a lot of supervision to do things right. But, as the technology progresses, we know how they will become fully autonomous and do their work without any need of human intervention. They have the innate ability to become a new class of industrial workers with increased adaptability and expertise.
