Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Development of RoboSalps: Underwater Robots Engineered to Operate in Extra-Terrestrial Oceans

About Topic In Short:

Who:

Scientists at the University of Bristol, led by researcher Valentina Lo Gatto.

What:

Innovation of underwater robots called RoboSalps, inspired by the design and movement of salps, that can operate in extreme environments including extra-terrestrial oceans and can connect to form "colonies" to perform complex tasks.

How:

Using lightweight soft tubular structures and drone propellers, each module can swim on its own and can be combined to form colonies for more robustness and sophisticated movements. Redundancy is achieved in case of failure.

Introduction:

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring oceans in extraterrestrial bodies such as Jupiter's moon Europa. However, due to the extreme conditions and the vast distance from Earth, it is difficult to perform such missions with human exploration. To overcome these challenges, scientists at the University of Bristol have developed underwater robots named RoboSalps, inspired by zooplankton that can operate in extreme environments including extraterrestrial oceans.

Inspiration from Zooplankton:

Researchers at the University of Bristol have taken inspiration from salps, a planktic tunicate that moves by pumping water through its body. Salps are known for their ability to connect with each other and form long chains, which helps them to move more efficiently. The researchers at Bristol have replicated this feature in their underwater robots, allowing them to connect and form colonies.

Design and Functionality:

RoboSalps have light, tubular bodies made of soft, lightweight materials, with a drone propeller inserted inside the body structure. This allows them to swim independently, but they are more easily controlled when swimming in a colony formation. The bots are capable of fluid and sophisticated movements, making them ideal for underwater exploration missions.

The Colony Formation:

Each RoboSalp module can connect with another to form a colony, which can perform new functions that can only be achieved through collaboration. The simple modules can be combined into more robust colonies capable of carrying out complex tasks. A colony of soft robots is well-suited to missions where direct human control might not be feasible. In case of any module breaking, the whole colony can still continue to swim, thanks to a redundant system.

Potential Applications:

The researchers have suggested that the RoboSalps can be used for underwater exploration missions in subsurface oceans of Jupiter's moon Europa. The bots can provide safer interaction with fragile ecosystems, reducing the risk of environmental damage. Furthermore, by splitting the colony into multiple segments, each can explore in a different direction and then reassemble to achieve a new objective, such as manipulation or sample collection.

Thus Speak Authors/Experts:

Valentina Lo Gatto, a researcher at Bristol’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and a student at the EPSRC Centre of Doctoral Training in Future Autonomous and Robotic Systems (FARSCOPE CDT), said, "RoboSalp is the first modular salp-inspired robot. These simple modules can be combined into colonies that are much more robust and have the potential to carry out complex tasks. Because of their low weight and robustness, they are ideal for extra-terrestrial underwater exploration missions, for example, in the subsurface ocean on the Jupiter moon Europa."

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the development of RoboSalps is a significant breakthrough in the field of underwater robotics. By taking inspiration from salps, the researchers at the University of Bristol have created modular underwater robots that can form colonies, providing a redundant system that is capable of performing complex tasks. The potential applications of these robots in underwater exploration missions in extraterrestrial oceans are immense.