Water-pumping robot worms its way over rugged coastal terrain
Water-pumping robot worms its way over rugged coastal terrain
Researchers at NYU Tandon have developed WorMa, a 50 cm long, 1 kg robot that uses water-filled balloons to shift its center of mass for navigating rugged coastal terrain. By redistributing water between its head and tail, WorMa can climb slopes up to 19.5 degrees, swim 26% faster in water, and climb steps up to 15 cm high. The robot currently relies on external control for weight shifting, but future versions may include sensors for autonomous terrain adaptation.
The WorMa robot demonstrates a novel approach to terrain adaptation through weight-shifting, combining biomimicry with mechanical design. Its ability to navigate slopes, water, and stairs highlights potential applications in coastal inspection and environmental monitoring.
Source: New Atlas — Robotics · Read original article ↗
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What the source reports
Publisher-reported claims, with original evidence. These results have not been independently verified by RoboSignal.
Reported numbers
robot length
50
View original evidence
e connected segments and four joints. It measures 50 cm (19.7 in) long and weighs just over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The really interesting part is that almost one third of its weight sits in two latex water balloons – one in its head and one in its tail. A pump in the middle section moves those 300 grams (10.6 oz) of water between the head and the tail, shifting the robot’s center of mass depending on where it needs to
Open source S4robot weight
>1
View original evidence
e connected segments and four joints. It measures 50 cm (19.7 in) long and weighs just over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The really interesting part is that almost one third of its weight sits in two latex water balloons – one in its head and one in its tail. A pump in the middle section moves those 300 grams (10.6 oz) of water between the head and the tail, shifting the robot’s center of mass depending on where it needs to
Open source S4water balloon weight
300
View original evidence
e connected segments and four joints. It measures 50 cm (19.7 in) long and weighs just over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The really interesting part is that almost one third of its weight sits in two latex water balloons – one in its head and one in its tail. A pump in the middle section moves those 300 grams (10.6 oz) of water between the head and the tail, shifting the robot’s center of mass depending on where it needs to
Open source S4slope climbing angle
≤19.5
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go. Here's how it works. A Robot That Shifts Its Own Weight to Cross Land, Steps, and Water When WorMa needs to climb an inclined surface, water shifts towards its head. That extra weight puts more force on the front of the robot, giving it better grip and more contact with the surface. As a result, the robot can climb slopes of up to 19.5 degrees. In water, the strategy flips. The water mass moves to the tail, shift
Open source S5water balloon weight in ounces
10.6
View original evidence
e connected segments and four joints. It measures 50 cm (19.7 in) long and weighs just over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The really interesting part is that almost one third of its weight sits in two latex water balloons – one in its head and one in its tail. A pump in the middle section moves those 300 grams (10.6 oz) of water between the head and the tail, shifting the robot’s center of mass depending on where it needs to
Open source S4
- paper: not_reported
- code: not_reported
- weights: not_reported
- dataset: not_reported
Source excerpts and review record
Automatically extracted; no manual editorial approval recorded.
e connected segments and four joints. It measures 50 cm (19.7 in) long and weighs just over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The really interesting part is that almost one third of its weight sits in two latex water balloons – one in its head and one in its tail. A pump in the middle section moves those 300 grams (10.6 oz) of water between the head and the tail, shifting the robot’s center of mass depending on where it needs to
Open source S4
go. Here's how it works. A Robot That Shifts Its Own Weight to Cross Land, Steps, and Water When WorMa needs to climb an inclined surface, water shifts towards its head. That extra weight puts more force on the front of the robot, giving it better grip and more contact with the surface. As a result, the robot can climb slopes of up to 19.5 degrees. In water, the strategy flips. The water mass moves to the tail, shift
Open source S5
The researchers applied the same principle here, but the tricky part is that the weight needs to shift constantly as the robot climbs up. First, the water goes forward to provide enough traction. Then the weight shifts backward, making it easier to lift the head and push it toward the step. Once the head and the “neck” joint are anchored on the edge of the step, the water shifts to the head again, so the robot can p
Open source S7
over rocks, climbing slopes, sliding into the water, and getting back out. This is a pretty complex task, at least for existing robots. So, what we need is pretty much a robotic snake – or a worm. That’s exactly what the NYU Tandon researchers came up with: WorMa. The name WorMa combines “worm” and “mass,” and the robot tackles its challenge with a pretty smart mechanism. The device looks like a giant worm, with fiv
Open source S3
Source：New Atlas — Robotics · newatlas.com