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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Robotic jellyfish fuelled by hydrogen invented | Robotic jellyfish fuelled by hydrogen invented |
| (3 days later) | |
| Engineers in the US say they have invented a hydrogen-powered robot that moves through water like a jellyfish. | Engineers in the US say they have invented a hydrogen-powered robot that moves through water like a jellyfish. |
| Development of the robot, nicknamed Robojelly, is in the early stages but researchers hope it could eventually be used in underwater rescue operations. | Development of the robot, nicknamed Robojelly, is in the early stages but researchers hope it could eventually be used in underwater rescue operations. |
| Writing in Smart Materials and Structures, Yonas Tadesse said the jellyfish's simple swimming action made it an ideal model for a vehicle. | Writing in Smart Materials and Structures, Yonas Tadesse said the jellyfish's simple swimming action made it an ideal model for a vehicle. |
| Being fuelled by hydrogen from water means it will not run out of energy. | |
| Lead author Dr Tadesse, from the University of Texas at Dallas, said: "To our knowledge, this is the first successful powering of an underwater robot using external hydrogen as a fuel source." | Lead author Dr Tadesse, from the University of Texas at Dallas, said: "To our knowledge, this is the first successful powering of an underwater robot using external hydrogen as a fuel source." |
| Artificial muscles | Artificial muscles |
| A jellyfish moves using circular muscles in the inside of its umbrella-like bell. | A jellyfish moves using circular muscles in the inside of its umbrella-like bell. |
| As they contract, the bell closes in on itself and ejects water to propel itself forward. When the muscles relax, the bell regains its original shape. | As they contract, the bell closes in on itself and ejects water to propel itself forward. When the muscles relax, the bell regains its original shape. |
| To replicate this, the vehicle uses shape memory alloys - materials that "remember" their original shape. | To replicate this, the vehicle uses shape memory alloys - materials that "remember" their original shape. |
| These are wrapped in carbon nanotubes - tiny "straws" of pure carbon that are renowned for their electrical properties - and coated with a platinum black powder. | These are wrapped in carbon nanotubes - tiny "straws" of pure carbon that are renowned for their electrical properties - and coated with a platinum black powder. |
| The robot is powered by heat-producing chemical reactions between the oxygen and hydrogen in water and the platinum on its surface. | The robot is powered by heat-producing chemical reactions between the oxygen and hydrogen in water and the platinum on its surface. |
| The heat from the reactions is transferred to the artificial muscles of the robot, and reshapes them. | The heat from the reactions is transferred to the artificial muscles of the robot, and reshapes them. |
| This means Robojelly can regenerate fuel from its surroundings rather than running off an external power source or batteries. | This means Robojelly can regenerate fuel from its surroundings rather than running off an external power source or batteries. |
| The team, which also included Virginia Tech, hope this could mean it need never run out of energy. | The team, which also included Virginia Tech, hope this could mean it need never run out of energy. |
| Currently, the jellyfish flexes its eight bell segments at the same time but there are plans to look at how to control each segment individually. | Currently, the jellyfish flexes its eight bell segments at the same time but there are plans to look at how to control each segment individually. |
| This would mean the robot could be more closely controlled and move in different directions. | This would mean the robot could be more closely controlled and move in different directions. |
| The study was sponsored by the US Office of Naval Research, which invests in projects to benefit the US Navy and Marine Corps. | The study was sponsored by the US Office of Naval Research, which invests in projects to benefit the US Navy and Marine Corps. |