Attack of the Airbots
Well, in the ongoing theme we have regarding robots of any kind I bring you something new… well relatively. The article is over a year old, but is still pretty damn cool.
It’s a flying solar powered robot without any motor. It’s on the drawing board as a possability for planetary exploration. How? Well find out for yourself… I recommend the video, it’s funny but pretty informative.
The aircraft involves the use of Electroactive Polymer… a flexible material that regains its original rigid state when subjected to electricity. Many of us might remember this from Batman Begins… it’s good to know that among all that baterangs and shark repellent (all right, different movie) there is some real science.
For those who LOVE science you can also take a look at this.
I am a lazy jerk, and though I may have half a brain there was way too much material there for me, but good luck anyway! personally I think the development of a flexible lithium battery is half the coolness of the story… that and the creepy red orifice in the base of this thing. It makes it look like some kind of killer flying space-leech.