in News
A peculiar 20-legged automaton might redefine our understanding of optimal robotic morphology.(Image credit: Duke University)Share this article 2Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleSubscribe to our newsletter
A curious machine with 20 legs could shift scientific perspectives on the ideal robot structure.
For many years, engineers specializing in robotics have drawn inspiration from the natural world, creating devices that mimic the form of humans, canines, insects, and even equines. However, recent research indicates that the most functional robotic chassis might bear a closer resemblance to a sea urchin than a human.
This robot lacks a distinct front or rear. Its twenty extendable limbs, each valued at $300, radiate outwards from a central core. Equipped with a depth camera at the extremity of every leg, the creators named it Argus, drawing inspiration from the omnipresent monstrous figure in Greek mythology. This configuration allows the machine to traverse in any direction, maintain stability when subjected to external forces, navigate challenging terrain, transport a load of up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), and even ascend vertical surfaces.
The scientists at Duke University responsible for developing this robot documented their discoveries on May 27 in the esteemed journal Science Robotics.
“Observing Argus in motion is unlike the experience of watching any other robotic system we have previously engaged with,” stated Jiaxun Liu, a doctoral candidate at Duke’s General Robotics Lab and a co-author of the research, in a press release. “The initial instance we witnessed its navigation through wooded areas and uneven ground, even when subjected to significant impacts [resulting from physical pushes], we recognized that this represented a paradigm shift.”
Simulating symmetry
The development team conceived Argus’s structure following the execution of over 1,500 simulations exploring various robotic configurations. Rather than focusing on emulating specific animal forms, the researchers prioritized achieving maximal directional symmetry in the machine’s mechanics—a principle known as dynamic isotropy.
The dynamic isotropy metric, quantified on a scale from 0 to 1, assesses the uniformity with which a robot can accelerate its main body, or center of mass, across all directions. A score of 1 signifies a robot capable of responding or propelling itself with nearly identical efficacy in every direction.
“When a robot possesses the capacity for equal acceleration in all directions, it ceases to require a specific orientation to engage with its environment,” explained Boyuan Chen, the director of Duke’s General Robotics Lab and a co-author of the study, via the press release. “Forward and backward movements become indistinguishable. Similarly, left and right motions are equivalent. The entire challenge of robot control undergoes a fundamental transformation.”
According to the researchers’ findings, the majority of contemporary robots—encompassing sophisticated quadrupedal machines, humanoid models, and conventional unmanned aerial vehicles—register scores below 0.6, indicating a preference for movement or response in certain directions over others. Argus, with its twenty appendages, achieved a score of 0.91, approaching the theoretical maximum.
To attain this elevated score, the team organized Argus’s structural components around a geometric form known as a regular dodecahedron, a three-dimensional shape characterized by twelve pentagonal facets. This arrangement provides the robot with a nearly uniform visual field and enables it to maneuver without the necessity of orienting itself in the manner typical of conventional robotic systems.
Chen highlighted that these findings suggest robotic designs do not need to mimic human or canine anatomy to enhance their maneuverability. Instead, optimal forms can be derived from fundamental mathematical principles.
Releasing the robot
To validate the optimality of Argus’s design, the team deployed the robot across the Duke campus, where it navigated surfaces including concrete, turf, dense vegetation, soft sand, damp ground, and tree bark. It successfully surmounted obstacles up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in height, continued its movement even after three of its legs sustained damage, and propelled a 3-foot (1 meter) cube while in motion.
The twenty-limbed robot, Argus, traverses a sandy shoreline.
(Image credit: Duke University)Related stories
- Robots gain significant cognitive abilities through Google DeepMind’s ‘thinking AI’ — a duo of models that enhance machine comprehension of the world
- This anthropomorphic robot handles all household chores for you — and its creators assert its readiness for domestic integration
- AI has condensed billions of years of evolutionary processes into mere seconds, yielding ‘Lego-like robots’ capable of recovery even after limb loss
Argus represents a conceptual demonstration rather than a definitive solution for optimal robotic configuration, as noted by the researchers in their publication. Its primary significance may lie in its design methodology rather than its practical applications or deployment scenarios. It offers a mathematical framework for comparing diverse robotic structures and for conceptualizing entirely novel form factors from the ground up.
“This research demonstrates that the pursuit of dynamic symmetry is not merely an abstract theoretical interest,” remarked Boxi Xia, a postdoctoral researcher at Duke’s General Robotics Lab and co-author of the study, in the official statement. “It results in a deployable robot capable of functioning in natural environments, on uneven terrain, amidst clutter, and even within reduced-gravity conditions. It expands the boundaries of what is achievable.”
Sourse: www.livescience.com
