Project Description
Mobile robots at the cm-scale often experience difficulty traversing complex environments due to the power and reach limitation at that size. Gaps and chasms in particular can become impassable obstacles. The goal of this research was to design a cm-scale robotic launcher that can send tethers across chasms and gaps and repeat this process to weave bridges and structures. The inspiration behind this idea is the remarkable Darwin’s Bark Spider that can cast its silk at range to create webs more than 10m in length and width.