As robotics as a field continues to advance, new forms of robots with different capabilities continue to emerge. One such robot is the Ourobot, developed by students at the Bielefield University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
The Ourobot, named after the Ouroboros symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, looks like a big bicycle chain with twelve segments, each of which are about the size of a fist. The chain is linked up with itself, creating a round structure resembling tank treads sans the driving wheels within.
Each segment of the chain is a 3D-printed housing which contains a Dynamixel AX-12 robotic actuator, as well as pressure sensors based on Flex-PCBs and conductive foam. The motors allow the robot to move along by itself, while the pressure sensors allow the Ourobot to detect and overcome obstacles.
The basis of this ability and control are complex control algorithms, which govern the interactions between the individual segments in order to move the entire structure, and roll over obstacles.
The students say there is no concrete application for the robot yet, which thus far can only move straight ahead and cannot manage curves.
However, the theoretical basis of its ability to detect obstacles and traverse them has the potential to open up many possible applications, from navigation through rough terrain in rescue and reconnaissance missions, to playing a part in more complex self-navigating robotics and transport systems.
Development of the Ourobot continues. By coupling two Ourobots together in parallel, for example, the researchers hope to allow them to navigate curves. Other configurations include having a twist in the chain, such as to create a Mobius-strip like robot, or to create snake or ball forms from the individual links.
The end goal, however, is to develop a robot that actively changes its form, which can adapt to its environment, capable of stretching and shrinking. Such a robot would be able to move through narrow terrain and overcome obstacles by means of different movements.