Scientists at Virginia Tech have been busy working on a robot, nicknamed robojelly, which propels itself through the water by contracting and expanding its bell-shaped body just like a jellyfish. The best part: no external electricity needed. The BBC reports that the body is “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.”
Funding for the project comes from the Navy, so like all other animal-like robots being toyed with these days, I’m sure this will be used for search and rescue and will in no way ever be deployed in our underwater battle to capture Atlantis.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
