This robot spider uses safety tethers to control its fall

folarin okunola

October 7, 2015 6:00 PM

The robot, named the LEAP (Line-Equipped Autonomous Platform), is mostly made from LEGO Technics pieces with a spool of yarn made from nylon, acting as its safety line.

Close picture of a spider

Traditionally, spiders don’t jump off surfaces without having some sort of plan as to landing. Many species of spider will affix themselves to their perch via a thin thread that acts as a safety tether.

Researchers at the University of Cape Town in South Africa have given a similar capability to their own robotic “spider.”

The robot, named the LEAP (Line-Equipped Autonomous Platform), is mostly made from LEGO Technics pieces with a spool of yarn made from nylon, acting as its safety line.

Ass the robot falls, it adjusts the tension of the unwinding line with the help of a DC motor. By adding or reducing the strength of its drag on the line, the LEAP can change its flight path as desired.

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This application doesn’t work yet for controlling the LEAPs yaw or pitch but the research team looks to address these issues in a future iteration of the LEAP and, eventually, create a robot that can competently leap from a resting point and land on its feet.

This isn’t the first time a spiders’ abilities will be repurposed for the benefit of humankind. If this process is incorporated into future high-rise fire escape systems, then there could no longer be a need for chutes and ladders, just climb onto a tethered platform that throws itself off the roof.

Watch a video of the robot spider in action below.

folarin okunola