Octo-bot in Guinness World Records!
The world's fastest-accelerating underwater robot which can go from 0 to 11.7km/h in just 0.95 seconds
Our heartiest congratulations to SMART CENSAM team comprising: Gabriel Weymouth, Vignesh Subramaniam and Prof Micahel Triantayllou for putting Octo-bot into the Guinness World of Records!
SMART's Octo-bot, which was developed in 2015, is able to accelerate underwater from 0-11.7km/h in just 0.95 seconds. This corresponds to accelerating by more than 10 times its own body length per second squared.
Its 3D-printed skeleton made of polycarbonate and an elastic membrane, without any moving parts, propels it through water in a flash. Movement is generated by the energy in the elastic membrane.
The robot is inflated with water and ejects it to propel itself. The octo-bot is highly efficient in converting power to acceleration. Unlike man-made underwater vehicles, it reduces its external dimensions by ejecting water, which propels itself in the water. Amazingly, this mechanism makes it even more efficient than a rocket accelerating in space.
Said Vignesh Subramaniam, CENSAM associate research engineer: "This is an amazing feat! I'm ecstatic to see our innovation in Guinness World Records."
See 2015 news release and video below for more.