Lab manipulates deceased spiders’ legs with a puff of air to serve as grabbers

Rice University researchers have found a way to use dead spiders as a raw material for robotic grippers. Assistant Professor Daniel Preston and his research group of mechanical engineers found a dead spider in their lab and wondered why spiders’ legs curl up when they die. Turns out spiders extend their legs with hydraulic pressure, an ability they lose upon dying. Preston’s group tapped into the hydraulic infrastructure of dead spiders using a needle. With a puff of air, they could extend the spider’s legs. Releasing the pressure retracted the legs, allowing them to grab objects. Preston’s team has even coined a name for its new field: “Necrobotics.” Why use dead spiders? Preston said one big reason is to go green. “We’re not introducing a big waste stream, which can be a problem with more traditional components,” he said. Learn more at: #spider #engineering #research