The Velox robot, created by Pliant Energy Systems, is a new type of ‘bot’ that can glide through water, move across land, and even ice skate with its propulsion system.
The capabilities of this robot come from renewable energy research, where Pietro Filardo, CEO of Pliant Energy Systems, used his background in marine biology to navigate the waves and tidal energy when creating Velox. This process piqued his interest with flexible biomorphic devices that could both capture energy and propel vehicles in the water.
Now, Velox relies on a flexible fin that helps motor the robot forward. Additionally, an onboard CPU helps distribute power to the actuators that drive the wave motions in the bot’s fins, giving its resemblance to a stingray.
Once the water-swimming robot reaches land, it transitions to a ground rover by rotating its fins 90 degrees to prop itself up and continue moving on land. The company said Velox can navigate sand, snow, pebbles, and pave solid ice.
Filardo hopes Velox can be used for an array of applications with its versatile functions, such as carrying medical supplies or ammunition through the water to troops on a beach, or being deployed for science research in polar environments.
