A robotic pool party | MIT CSAIL
MIT CSAIL researchers describe underwater robots for studying animals, a compliant robot for working near coral, and miniature boats that can assemble into shapes on the water.
In this talk
- 0:17
A turtle robot changes its flipper stiffness
The turtle robot uses linked acrylic plates joined by flexible 3D-printed hinges, with a cable controlling the structure. Adjusting the flippers from soft to rigid creates asymmetric movement that lets it swim forward and turn.
- 1:00
Robots designed for delicate encounters
Underwater robots are used to observe real animals in their environments. Sophie’s work focuses on shy or easily startled animals, using a more compliant approach around fragile places such as coral reefs.
- 1:30
A disruptive visitor at the lab
The narrator jokes that a unicorn has disrupted the research space, including by interrupting video calls and heating fish in the microwave. The complaints contrast with the lab’s careful work with underwater robots.
- 1:57
Miniature boats reconfigure on the water
A researcher describes small programmable boats that can assemble into chosen shapes and then reorganize into new ones. The boats chase the unicorn away, ending the lab disruption.
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