This is it. Batteries were the last shackle. Now that the robots can potentially produce their own power by devouring insects, all those cliches and overused internet memes about robot overlords are finally going to come true.
The enabler’s name is Mohsen Shahinpoor (roughly translates to “the Creator” in robo-tongue), who said in an article over at New Scientist that his artificial Venus flytrap contraption is essentially the same as the one created by nature and evolution. Tiny sensor “hairs” in the mouth area trigger a current which slams the two halves together, effectively trapping the bug.
While this version doesn’t eat the bug, there are apparently technologies already in place that digest organic matter and covert it to energy. This was news to me, but having seen the things I’ve seen working here at Gizmodo, nothing in the science or tech space really surprises me anymore.
Combine the two and you have a robot that creates its own energy by eating the living. Nothing creepy about that at all. [New Scientist via DVICE]
gregc
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 7:41 AMThis is great. Now all we have to do is get them made a little larger and send them out to reduce the worlds human population.
Andre
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:52 AMgo on… put your finger in.
Marty McFly
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 10:25 AMgo on..lick the battery
Sylver
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 6:40 PMWill never, ever do this again.
My dad was a cruel, vindictive person to 9 year old me.
Adam
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 10:43 AMThat’s not a misleading headline at all then…
olearymo
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 10:58 AM+1
Matt L
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 11:34 AM+7.8
Michael
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 6:35 PMSo when Nike release a new shoe will Gizmodo state that because we have phones, we will have shoe phones?
Headline should be “Robo flytrap the next step?” then they can go into how they think the bio digestive power gels could be used to turn it into our worst nightmare if Goog… umm I mean Skynet gets its digital hands onto it.
Dr Croubie
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 4:55 PMSurely if we put some piezo-electrics at the hinges of the ‘jaws’, the vibrations from the struggling insect could generate enough charge to at least power the jaws opening up again and keep the cpu running a while…?
Sam Timmins
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:46 PM“While this version doesn’t eat the bug”
Misleading title is misleading.