UC Berkeley's Biomimetic Millisystems Lab has taken inspiration from nature and created the Octoroach and Bolt, which stands for Bipedal Ornithoper for Locomotion Transitioning. This dynamic robotic duo were created with the grace of birds and the durability of cockroaches in mind. Cleverly built this cooperative team is bound for military use. The Octoroach is capable of traveling a 100 meter undetected, which is crucial when close-up surveillance is called for. If more than 100 meters is required Bolt is capable of carrying the Octoroach closer to the action. The Bolt is also equipped with legs underneath its power wings, granting this fine example of engineering the ability to skitter about undetected.
The pair were built and demoed as part of the UC Berkeley display at the 2011 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. The Octoroach and Bolt have already earned a few fans in the robotics community and even if you know nothing about technology you can appreciate the beauty of their design. The Octoroach and Bolt give a whole new meaning to the term bugged.
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