Robot walks on water

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(Left) Photo of the water strider insect. (Right) Photo of the 1-gram robot on the surface of the water. A B C D: supporting legs E and F: actuating legs G: body with on-board electronics and power source H: middle actuator I and J: right and left ac ...
(Left) Photo of the water strider insect. (Right) Photo of the 1-gram robot on the surface of the water. A, B, C, D: supporting legs; E and F: actuating legs; G: body with on-board electronics and power source; H: middle actuator; I and J: right and left actuators. Image credit: Yun Seong Song and Metin Sitti. ©IEEE 2007.
Water striders, insects that walk on the surface of the water, may never set foot on land in their lives, and yet they’re not swimmers. Over the past million or so years, this insect—sometimes called a water skater—has optimized its use of surface tension to balance its 0.01-gram body on lakes, ponds, and even oceans.


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