The robot has a ‘mouth’ created from a soft polymer membrane. Through this membrane, food – or rather water containing living organisms – is pumped into the robot’s ‘stomach’, which contains a microbic fuel cell filled with bacteria. The bacteria dissolves living organisms, producing energy for the machine. The robot even has a special vent or canal in the back for waste removal.
Specialists say that only a small amount of energy can be produced this way. However, the developers of the robot say that they were able to successfully decrease the robot’s consumption of energy by using special polymers. They also report that by increasing the number of microbic fuel cells, they managed to upgrade their efficiency.
Since the robot is capable of functioning independently for prolonged periods of time, scientists say the robot can be used in water environments, which for example, are contaminated with radiation or toxic matter.
British engineers create robot that devours living organisms
31 October 2016
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Engineers from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in Great Britain have created a robot capable of processing living organisms and producing energy from them, New Scientist reports.
