Rolls-Royce Is Developing Tiny ‘Cockroach’ Robots
No, we are not talking about domestic cockroaches, what is being developed is a robot. You can get off that chair because the concept that the British giant Rolls-Royce wants to implement is robotic cockroaches about 15 millimeters high with a weight of only a few grams. Each of these robots would be equipped with a camera as well as optics for 3D scanning, which would allow engineers to remotely assess problems before reworking procedures to perform the desired correction.
According to Rolls-Royce technology expert, James Cell, “the robots could run around the engine reaching all the different parts of the combustion chamber. If we did it conventionally, it would take five hours; with these little robots, who knows, it may take five minutes.” Cockroaches would work together. A person would enter a combustion chamber, for example, to detect any danger or remove debris. A second robot – designed specifically for the job, or reprogrammed in real time to perform less common jobs – would continue to complete the repair. The buddy system will simply allow robots to perform simple tasks and diagnose problems. That would also mean that low-skilled workers could deploy the bots to diagnose a problem while waiting for the engineers to rearrange them for a more complicated fix. Once this is done, the robots can be programmed to leave the space, or be “washed” by the engine itself. Current prototypes are much larger than the desired size and are not ready for these types of repairs. A representative of Rolls-Royce, however, told TNW that they could be ready to use in less than two years. So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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