{"id":8739,"date":"2012-03-23T17:38:31","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T21:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sciencebusiness.technewslit.com\/?p=8739"},"modified":"2012-03-23T17:38:31","modified_gmt":"2012-03-23T21:38:31","slug":"robot-jellyfish-runs-on-hydrogen-oxygen-in-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technewslit.com\/sciencebusiness\/?p=8739","title":{"rendered":"Robot Jellyfish Runs on Hydrogen, Oxygen in Water"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Yonas<\/a>
Yonas Tadesse (University of Texas at Dallas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Researchers at University of Texas at Dallas<\/a> and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg have developed an autonomous undersea vehicle inspired by the common jellyfish that runs on hydrogen and oxygen in the water. The team, led by Dallas engineering professor and first author Yonas Tadesse<\/a>\u00a0(pictured left), published its findings this week in the journal Smart Materials and Structures<\/a> (free registration required).<\/p>\n

The Robojelly, as they call the vehicle, is constructed of two bell-like structures made from silicone that fold like an umbrella. Connecting the structures are connectors acting like muscles that contract to move. These “muscles” are made of a nickel-titanium alloy wrapped in carbon nanotubes, coated with platinum and housed in a pipe.<\/p>\n

The new self-powered Robojelly is an upgrade of a previous invention that was battery-powered. In the new device, the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen atoms encounter the platinum in the muscle-connectors, with heat and water vapor created as a result. That heat causes a contraction that moves the muscles of the device, pumping out the water and starting the cycle again.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019ve created an underwater robot that doesn\u2019t need batteries or electricity,” says Tadesse. “The only waste released as it travels is more water.”<\/p>\n

The U.S. Office of Naval Research funded the study. The prototype device is expected to evolve into a system used for surveillance and detecting pollution. Tadesse says the next step in the project will involve refining the legs of the Robojelly to move independently, allowing the device to travel in more than one direction.<\/p>\n

The following video shows the Robojelly in motion.<\/p>\n