Controversial robots devour biomass to gain energy independence
By Susannah F. Locke Posted 10.09.2009 at 1:46 pm 9 Comments

Crunch'n'Munch EATR will grab plants with its robotic arm, chop them with a mini chainsaw, and burn them in its onboard steam combustion engine to make power. Francis Govers III

No matter how intelligent a robot might be, it’s nice knowing you can pull its plug to halt the anti-human insurrection. Whoops, not anymore. A new cohort of ’bots that make energy by gobbling organic matter could be the beginning of truly autonomous machines.

This first wave of biomass-munching robots has been designed with safe, slow, long-term vocations in mind, such as surveillance, clearing land mines, or monitoring sewer pipes and other locales too dark for solar cells. Take EcoBot II, the tambourine-size fly-eating machine built by Bristol Robotics Laboratory in England. Engineers hand-feed this robot insects, which it digests in a microbial fuel cell—essentially a tank of sludgy bacteria and oxygen—that converts the insects into electricity. An eight-fly meal can drive it up to seven feet.

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Science, Susannah F. Locke, Autonomy, biomass, EATR, engine, food, furnace, headlines, October 2009, robots, steam
EATR (for Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot), a car-size military reconnaissance ’bot, will forage more actively. The Darpa-funded concept vehicle from Robert Finkelstein of Robotic Technology in Washington, D.C., will use cameras and radar-like sensors to spot twigs and leaves. It will then chop up food and toss it into a combustion chamber built by engineer Harry Schoell (a 2008 PopSci Invention Award winner). Schoell’s steam engine runs on anything that burns and will get EATR around 100 miles per 150 pounds of vegetation. Both the EcoBot and EATR teams are working on software to help the robots conserve energy during lean times, and a full EATR prototype should be scavenging by 2011.

For those inclined to fear an autonomous, chainsaw-wielding robot, take comfort that its programming will restrict it to only grabbing morsels that match the shape, color and texture of plant life. “It won’t consume a chocolate layer cake, because it won’t recognize it as food,” Finkelstein says. “And it certainly won’t go running after animals.”

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9 Comments

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evalentin32
10/01/09 at 1:05 pm

yes, exactly what we need, a robot comsuming organic life for fuel

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rciafardone
10/09/09 at 3:56 pm

It was meant to happen; we must find a way to screw ourselves up somehow. I mean we failed with nukes, we failed with chems, bio weapons are not reliable enough (bitchy genetic variations ensures someone will always be immune). Self powered robots are a step in the right direction; add some clanking replicator capacity (GO REPRAP PROYECT!!!), an industrious AI and we will be done. :D

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KH
10/09/09 at 4:40 pm

An 8 fly meal gets you 7 feet huh?

After it self upgrades how far will an average size person get you? Anybody got their conversion tables out?

I'm surprised the Syfy channel didn't think of this first.

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Solace

from Ojai, California

10/09/09 at 5:54 pm

Color me impressed when it actually finds enough fuel to function in the wild... and doesn't get stuck in a pothole.

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picassobro
10/10/09 at 1:28 am

Finkelstein's Frankenstein robot is alive!

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RisingPhoenix
10/10/09 at 11:20 pm

@evalentin32

Keep in mind that when robots are charged from outlets or powered by combustible fuels that a lot of the time that energy comes from fossil fuels, which was organic life. At least the bright side to this is that the biomass it consumes is moreso renewable than that produced from fossil fuels/powerplants (coal, petroleum, natural gas). Still can't have too many of these running around consuming everything, though. Cool idea, nonetheless.

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robots.vs.politics
11/11/09 at 2:39 pm

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the practical next step of this robot. A few adaptations, and one could turn this robot into a autonomous lawnmower that powers it's self with the lawn trimmings!

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C. L. Bates
11/27/09 at 3:59 am

Robots now draw energy from useful resources while trash and nuclear waste are being buried under ground. That statement should have been the title.

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Plantastic
12/07/09 at 7:00 am

Did everyone see the TickleMe Plant? It moves like a robot!
The leaves instantly close and the branches droop when you Tickle It! Just search TickleMe Plant



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