Scientists turn a dead spider into a gripping robot.
Spiders don’t have muscles to move their legs. Instead, they use hydraulic pressure – they have a prosoma chamber that sends body fluid to their legs, making them extend.
For dead spiders to pick up objects, the team inserted a needle into the spider’s prosoma chamber. They sealed the tip of the needle with superglue and squeezed a bit of air through the syringe. This activated the spider’s legs. The scientists demonstrated the dead spider picking up delicate objects, electronics, and another spider of similar size.
They called this new type of robotics ‘necrobotics’. It takes advantage of natural designs that may be difficult to replicate artificially. They are biodegradable and could help reduce robotic waste. The team just needs to make the necrobot function longer.
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