Simulation of flight. Source: Aerial Robotics Lab/Imperial College LondonSimulation of flight. Source: Aerial Robotics Lab/Imperial College LondonA team of scientists from Imperial College London have developed robots that launch themselves from water and glide up to 85 ft.

To do this, the team added 0.2 g of calcium carbide powder to the robot, which is then mixed with ambient water in a combustion chamber. The water and calcium carbide react, producing acetylene gas, which is then ignited for thrust. The robot lands in the water and the launch procedure renews.

The prototype of the robot conducted 22 flights on 160 g of calcium carbide during testing, which took place on an outdoor pond and indoor tank.

According to the scientists, the applications for such a robot include monitoring and sampling the waters around offshore energy platforms, surrounding coral reefs or following a natural disaster. It also has potential for use in reservoir management and agriculture.

Raphael Zufferey, first author on the paper, explained, “These kinds of low-power, tether-free robots could be really useful in environments that are normally time- and resource-intensive to monitor, including after disasters such as floods or nuclear accidents.”

The research appears in the journal Science Robotics.

To contact the author of this article, email mdonlon@globalspec.com