Most of us have had an overly religious grandmother that told us the story of David and Goliath, and how the tiny (or was he of regular size? I can't remember) David defeated Goliath the giant with a well-placed sling shot, proving it's not the size that matters, but wits and skill.
Whether we believed the story or not (of course we believed it, it had giants, for goodness' sake), we've all been fascinated with the idea of little things overcoming their limitations and doing great deeds. However, not all of us have made this the object of our studies, like the author of this research paper from Stanford University did.
Fascinated by the way insects in general and ants in particular are capable of pulling objects a lot of times heavier than their weight, the author wanted to replicate this feat using small robots. The ant's secret isn't some miraculous protein shake that gives them supreme strength, but something much more easily achievable: teamwork.
By studying the multiple types of robots at hand, the team found that the best choice were the μTugs (where "μ" is the symbol for "micro" and should be read as such). The other robots could not synchronize their movements and add up their pulling power as well, so the μTugs were the obvious choice. With their integrated mini-winches and a special adhesive inspired by gecko toes, a μTug can pull objects over 2,000 times its own weight. Which isn't really that much, considering it only weighs around 17 grams.
However, team six of these μTugs together, and what they can accomplish is nearly unbelievable. With just 100 grams between them, the six miniature robots were able to pull a 1,800 kg car - driver included - with ease. They weren't exactly in a hurry, as the very slow footage you're about to see - which is 20 times the actual speed - proves, but given their size (you can barely see them sitting in front of the car), we are impressed.
For now, this achievement - which has got to be some sort of a record - is only that, but the μTugs could be scaled up and used in various industrial scenarios. Or, they can be scaled down even further, and used to troll ants. Seeing a group of ants on one side of the dead centipede and a group of μμμTugs pulling on the other end, now that's entertainment I'd pay money to see.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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