Can robots camouflage?

Recently, researchers have built a squishy robot that could perfectly camouflage into its surroundings. 

The image of the squishy robot

The scientists claim that this robot is based on the characteristics of the squid and starfish, of how they could camouflage into their surroundings perfectly. They also mentions that most of the robots created are generally rigid and large, imitating movements of mammals. However, they discovered that starfish and squids' characteristics could also help in various aspects. They published their research and invention on the current issue of the journal Science.

The materials that these soft robots are made of should be soft and strong, as well as partially transparent since light had to go through it. Hence, they are made of a silicone-based polymer called "poly di methyl siloxane", or PDMS. They were created using 3-D printers, as were the recently added “color layers.”

There are channels attached to the robots that send them colored waters that allow the robot to change its color, depending on the color of the surroundings.

Moreover, by pumping liquids with different temperatures, such as heated or cooled liquids into the channels, the robot could even camouflage in infrared, making the robot more efficient and full of potential. 

The scientists claim that the feature to camouflage and to change color can be useful in making search-and-rescue robots. The robots can also serve as a visual marker to assist in finding the crew members. Since the robots are light, yet powerful and less rigid, they can easily go through obstacles such as mud or rocks that heavy and huge robots cannot access. The robot can be made 

“They are very light and can make their way across mud in a way that a heavy robot would have trouble with,” Dr. Whitesides, a professor associated with the robot development, said. “A way of seeing a robot there is to make it very visible in the infrared. Since we just need to change the temperature of the liquid flowing into the robot, it is relatively easy to make it visible in infrared." 

These robots have gone through various experiments, and they are proven to be able to pick up vulnerable and fragile objects, such as eggs, and even small living things such as live mice. Hence, this characteristics make these robots apt for science research, in environments where the scientists cannot easily access, such as the deep sea floor.

Last but not least, the probably best long term benefit of theses robots is the cheap price. The manufacturing fee causes only around $10, which is very cheap compared to the other robots and easier to make, giving it more potential.

Reflection

  After reading this article, I was both amazed by how creative and useful this invention could potentially be, and surprised how many times mother nature have inspired the humans to have another creation in the form of mimicking the behaviors of different species of animals and plants. 

I figured out that this invention could be really useful and can be helpful in multiple purposes. Most importantly, I believe that since this robot could camouflage and even remain undetected by the infrared, it can be used for scientific research purposes. All the undiscovered places which includes the deep sea bed and animal habitats, can now be researched, without provoking the surroundings or go there by himself. Some animals are very sensitive to their environment which makes them difficult to study. However, with the help of these robots, which can camouflage perfectly into the environment, the scientists would be able to research the animal species more closely, and even collect a few samples using the robotic arm. 

Not only for scientific research purposes, this robot can be also used in search and rescue missions. These robots are small, free and easy to camouflage among the surroundings, it would be able to visit places that people would not be able to go. Hence, these robots can be efficient in finding lost crews and also visit restricted places, traveling easily through obstacles such as mud. I thought that this idea could be very interesting, and in fact, quite valid. If the robots are soft bodied and could squish through obstacles just like squids, why can't they be used as search and rescue robots?

Last but not least, I was amazed by the greatness of mother nature. I realized how many inventions made by humans are actually based on the mother nature: the behaviors of different animals and plants. For example, the airplane is an imitation of the birds flying in the sky and the Bullet Train in Japan is inspired by a Kingfisher bird. (the nose part imitating the beak). A lot of inventions were inspired by what is around us, and this made me astonished, by how great the mother nature can be. Even as the technology develops in a rapid speed, the mother nature still possesses something that humans should learn from, and we humans would always have to observe it carefully. 

To summarize, this article helped me to get a wider view of how effective this robot can be and also  how much we still need to learn from mother nature. 

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Introducing: The 10 "Super foods" of the planet!

  Everyday and everywhere in our life, we can see different kinds of foods around our surroundings. There are millions and millions types of food that exist on this planet. In a recent studies, a few scientists have displayed some of the healthiest food on Earth: the 10 Superfood. These super foods are known to be effective disease fighters and have abundance of nutrients that can boost either growth or health condition. These super foods also do not contain harmful substances such as artificial chemicals or saturated fats. Let's take a closer look.

<Lemons- king of vitamin C>

Lemons are commonly known as "The King Of Vitamin C". In fact, a single lemon contains more than 100% of daily intake of Vitamin C, which makes it an efficient source for nutrients. The reason why Vitamin C is so important to our body is it involves in many of our daily body procedures. To start with, it is essential in the growth and repairing of tissue cells, such as the skin, ligaments and blood vessels. Moreover, vitamin C serves as a major antioxidant, which blocks damage from some free radicals, and therefore, preventing diseases like cancer or heart problems. It also maintains a good cholesterol level in the body. Hence, lemon is a very healthy fruit. 

<Broccoli- the green flower> 

Many people mistake broccolis as small tree- like plants. In fact, Broccolis are flowers, very health flowers. One medium stalk of Broccoli, contains more than 100% of your daily intake of vitamin K. It also contains almost  200% of daily intake of vitamin C. These two vitamins are very vital to our body as they help to strengthen our bones and rebuild our tissues.  Other than those two vitamins, Broccoli contains vitamin A, fibers, which are essential for our digestion, and also protective substances that shield us from diseases, such as cancer or cholesterol problems in our blood veins.

<Dark chocolate>

This may be unexpected and strange for many people, who thought chocolates were sweet and made artificially, therefore, not healthy. However, scientists have discovered the numerous nutrients that exist inside one tiny chunk of chocolate. Just one piece of dark chocolate bar can help reduce blood pressures and give sucrose and different vitamins that are necessary for our daily activities. The sucrose and other sugary substances inside dark chocolate gives out energy when broken down, hence humans can use the energy for their activities. 

<Potatoes-ugly but healthy>

Potatoes can be commonly found in a lot of foods. This potato has proven itself to be one of the top 10 healthiest foods on the planet. One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate, which is important for our body growth and also repairing our dead body cells. Hence, potatoes can help us to recover faster and grow taller.  The potato also contains a lot of healthy nutrients such as vitamin A and minerals, which may be helpful in fighting against different diseases. In fact, a study has shown that one potato has 8 times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A needed per day, and this proves why potatoes have proven itself to be very efficient.  

<Salmon>

Salmon can be seen as a "factory" of high quality fats and proteins. Salmon contains different vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E, B6 and B12, which are essential in our body growth and also fighting against diseases. To illustrate, one piece of salmon meat is sufficient enough to fight against heart diseases, and blood vessel diseases, as well as Alzheimer's disease. Since Salmon is a fish, it also contains lots of minerals, mainly water. Last but not least, Salmon contains a very important source of fat: the Omega-3 oil. This is a very healthy source of fatty acid, as this prevents heart diseases and cholesterol problems from forming. 

<walnuts> 

Walnuts are also very health food. It is the "King Of Nuts". Most notably, it contains the most amount of Omega-3 fatty acid, among all types of nuts. Similar to salmon, it works as an important antioxidant, preventing high blood pressures and heart problems. In fact, it is surprising that a single walnut contains antioxidant that is 15 times as powerful as normal vitamin A which is found in other sources of nuts. There are a lot of healthy nutrients, such as high quality proteins, dietary fibre, lots of vitamins and also healthy minerals.

<Avocados> 

Avocados are commonly known as a good source for fats. The fats found in one Avocado is sufficient enough to lower cholesterol by 22%. It also contains a lot of dietary fibre, which helps digestion, as well as help to enhance chemical procedures occurring in our body. It contains 40% of daily amount of folate required, greatly reducing the risk of having a heart attack. Last but not least, avocados help to increase the amount of key nutrients that can be consumed a day, such as beta- carotene, from approximately 3 to 5 times.

<Garlic>

It is shown that when red blood cells react with digested garlic, a compound called hydrogen sulfate, is formed and this helps to regulate blood pressure and increase our blood flow, therefore reducing the risk of having heart related diseases. A substance called Allicin also helps in preventing cardiovascular deformities from happening. The garlic is also known as a powerful bacteria fighter. It contains substances that can prevent the growth of some species of bacterias such as E.coil and hence prevent diseases. 

<Spinach>

Spinach is known to be a great antioxidant: it contains three vital substances, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene, which serve as a boost for antioxidants and also improve our eye health. In fact, Spinach is proven to be one of the most effective food for fighting cancer. There are also diverse kinds of health substances and nutrients. For example, there is  lipoic acid, which helps to regenerate vitamin C and E. Moreover, spinach contains lutein, which helps to prevent the aging process, encouraging macular degeneration. Hence, spinach is considered to be very healthy and powerful antioxidant. 

<Beans- small but powerful>

Beans, although they are small, they are very powerful source of nutrients, especially proteins. Beans have high fiber and antioxidants, which helps to shape the body and also prevent the diseases from occurring. Moreover, the calories that humans can earn from beans are great, which can even be compared to a slice of meat. This means that beans produce more energy for us to use in our daily activities. The beans contain high quality proteins, which contribute to the muscle and bone growth in our body. According to a scientific research, one cup of cooked beans can contribute to half the amount of proteins and fibers needed for a adult woman a day. Hence, beans can be seen as a powerful source of nutrients. 

Reflections 

After reading this article, I was quite surprised that the "Super foods" were just simple foods that we could find in our daily lives. I expected them to be unique and new type of food that we did not know before, but it turns out that we were eating the "Super foods" everyday in our lives. For example, we could find potatoes easily in our food. I was also fascinated the benefits that each of the foods have: how the nutrients were actually helping us to perform activities and also prevent the body from getting sick. I never knew that in one type of food, there could be so many diverse kinds of nutrients that were beneficial to our body. Through this article, I could learn about various kinds of nutrients and antioxidants and how they can influence our body and the chemical procedures that occur inside it.  

Moreover, I felt that it is important to keep a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays, due to lack of understanding about the importance of food nutrients, people tend to avoid these healthy food and choose unhealthy foods such as french fries or sweets. They do not understand how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also what kind of food have healthy nutrients. They should take more care about what they are eating and by knowing these 10 "Super Foods", I hope many would try to fix their food habits and try to make it healthier than before.