Because after the robots have dominated the land, it’s only natural they set their sights on the water, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Munich, Germany, have developed a robotic jellyfish capable of efficiently swimming and manipulating objects, using only 100mW of power in the process. For reference, it takes me significantly more energy to get off the sofa, and sometimes even all the energy in the world isn’t enough.
The robo-jelly features six “tentacles”, which it uses to propel itself. It can manipulate lightweight objects without touching them by trapping them inside the pocket of water between its tentacles as it swims and lifts heavier objects with two specially designed grasping tentacles located opposite each other. But where are the stingers?
Researchers imagine that one day schools of these jellyfish might help gather and clean up ocean pollutants. I personally imagine them attacking swimmers and trying to drag them beneath the waves the way mermaids do. Trust me; they’re not all shell bras and smiles – I learned that the hard way.
[via TechEBlog]
