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Engineers at Rice University in the US have made a robotic gripper out of a dead spider that can pinch and lift various objects. Details – in the material Trends
What’s going on
- Spiders do not have antagonist muscles that flex and extend in turn. Their legs bend thanks to a hydraulic system: the cavities near the head are compressed and direct the hemolymph to the limbs, causing them to unbend. After the death of the spider, the pressure disappears and its body curls up.
- Engineers at Rice University’s soft robotics lab took advantage of this feature and made a robotic gripper out of dead wolf spiders.
- To do this, the researchers introduced into the prosoma – the cephalothorax of the spider – a syringe with air. When the piston was pressed, the spider’s legs unclenched and could “grab” objects.
- Scientists have found that insects can lift objects weighing up to 130% of their weight. At the same time, the smaller the spider, the heavier loads relative to its own weight it can “carry”.
- The spider can withstand 1 cycles of squeezing and unclenching, after which the limbs wear out, including due to dehydration. The researchers plan to solve this problem by using polymeric materials as a coating.
- According to the authors of the project, such “necrobot” spiders can be used to assemble microelectronics, sort small objects, and also to catch small insects.
What does it mean
Scientists have already turned to the unique features of spiders to create new materials and drugs. For example, in July 2022, Australian researchers found a substance in spider venom that prevents cell death after a heart attack. The compound was named IB001. If a drug containing IB001 is administered immediately after an attack, the damage to the heart can be reduced and other serious consequences can be prevented.
In July 2022, ITMO scientists developed a material made of spider silk for suturing after surgeries. It heals wounds and also glows. If the glow fades, it means that an infection has got into the wound. In February of the same year, another group of Russian researchers also presented material for applying wound dressings from spider silk proteins and yeast fungi. Such dressings stimulate tissue regeneration, speed up recovery and prevent sutures.
Despite the benefits brought by experimental animals and insects in laboratories around the world, activists oppose experiments on living things. According to them, modern technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, computer modeling and artificial intelligence can make it possible to refuse experiments on animals.