Researchers Turn Dead Spiders Into Real Claw Machines
While we’ve seen scientists find new ways to use insects after they’ve died, it’s hard to imagine any team of researchers outperforming the work of the Rice University team that turned lifeless wolf spiders into “invader necrobots.”
The sight of the dead spider inspired a team at Rice University to start exploring the possibility of using it as a grip, and they’ve been working on the project since 2019. “This area of soft robotics is very interesting, because we can use previously unused types of drives and materials,” said Daniel Preston, associate professor of engineering. “The spider falls into this line of investigation. This is something that has not been used before, but has great potential.”
Once Professor Preston’s team understood how spiders move their legs, turning them into robots capable of lifting more than their own body weight was easy. The procedure involved inserting a needle into the head chamber of the arachnids and fixing it with a drop of superglue. A hand syringe or lab equipment attached to the other end allowed the researchers to deliver a small amount of air into the cavity, which in turn caused the dead spider to instantly extend its legs. The resulting mechanism was suitable for about 1000 opening and closing cycles.
