Inventing a new type of robot that can move without GPS

Inspired by desert ants, scientists at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University have a new generation robot, named AntBot, that can be moved without need to.

AntBot is capable of precisely orienting up to 0.4 degrees in all weather conditions.

The study, published in Science Robotics on February 13, shows that AntBot weighs 2.3kg, has 6 legs, making it move quickly in complex environments where robots move by wheel and flying equipment. Unmanned cannot be deployed.

AntBot is equipped with an ultraviolet-sensitive optical compass and an optical moving sensor for distance measurement.

AntBot is capable of precisely orienting up to 0.4 degrees in all weather, clear or murky conditions.

In addition, like desert ants, AntBot can explore strange environments with an accuracy of up to 1cm after traveling over a distance of 14m.

Desert ants are animals that can move hundreds of meters in direct sunlight, then can go straight to their nest. They use polarized light to orient and calculate the number of steps to determine the distance. By combining these two information, they can return to their nest without getting lost.