2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the Maryland Robotics Center. The MRC time capsule commemorates the first 10 years of robotics research at the University of Maryland with a selection of robotics research artifacts from the period 2010-2020. The time capsule is located in the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering, Robotics Manipulator Lab, Room 0116. Descriptions of the time capsule artifacts are provided below.
Big Bird was the original prototype of the RoboRaven series of flapping-wing aerial vehicles. This robot used a motor and reciprocal gear system for flapping and was designed to study and understand the mechanics and aerodynamics of flapping-wing flight.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Hugh Bruck & S.K.Gupta
Department: Mechanical Engineering
TinyTeRP is an inch-scale, open-source wheeled robotic platform with modular sensing capabilities that is designed for researchers of the swarm and distributed robotics.
Research Area: Miniature Robotics
Principal Investigator: Sarah Bergbreiter
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This tiny jumping robot was manufactured using micro-scale technologies with embedded silicone springs.
Research Area: Miniature Robotics
Principal Investigator: Sarah Bergbreiter
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This magnetically actuated hexapedal walking robot was fabricated using a combination of laser cutting and elastomer molding.
Research Area: Miniature Robotics
Principal Investigator: Sarah Bergbreiter
Department: Mechanical Engineering
R2G2 was designed for search and rescue operations and camouflage applications. Its linear (rather than sinusoidal) movements allow it to slide into narrow pipes and passageways that would impede other snake-inspired robots.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: S.K.Gupta
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This artifact is an enhanced acoustic sensor that uses metamaterials to improve acoustic detection by increasing the compression and pressure of a sound wave.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Miao Yu
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This magnetically actuated 3D-printed miniature robot was used to study the locomotion of microrobots.
Research Area: Miniature Robotics
Principal Investigator: Sarah Bergbreiter
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This quadrotor drone features an onboard wind sensor that it uses to improve stability and control in gusty conditions.
Research Area: Autonomous Systems
Principal Investigator: Derek Paley
Department: Aerospace Engineering
These small quadcopters were used to demonstrate multi-robot swarming behavior inspired by the mating dance of mosquitos.
Research Area: Multirobot Systems
Principal Investigator: Derek Paley
Department: Aerospace Engineering
RoboTerp is a turtle-inspired amphibious robot capable of autonomous and remote-control behavior.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: S.K.Gupta & Hugh Bruck
Department: Mechanical Engineering
The HippoBot mobile robot was the final project of students in a bio-inspired robotics class.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Hugh Bruck
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This fish-inspired robot uses an internal motor and rubbery body to generate flapping-tail propulsion. It was built to investigate underwater sensing and control in multi-robot systems.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Derek Paley
Department: Aerospace Engineering
This pneumatic actuator will bend when pressurized by air. It was used to study the sensing and control of soft robotic manipulators.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Nikhil Chopra
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This 3D printed robotic hand contains an embedded fluidic control system that was able to complete the first level of the original Super Mario Bros. video game.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Ryan Sochol
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This kit was used by students in an aerospace engineering class to build an aerial robot capable of traversing an obstacle course using onboard perception and control.
Research Area: Autonomous Systems
Principal Investigator: Yiannis Aloimonos
Department: Computer Science
Inspired by the sea sponge, these 3D-printed shapes are designed to undergo large deformations when submerged.
Research Area: Bio-Inspired Robotics
Principal Investigator: Eleonora Tubaldi
Department: Mechanical Engineering
This flight controller was part of an hardware platform that students entered in a rocket launch competition.
Research Area: Extreme Robotics
Principal Investigator: David Akin
Department: Aerospace Engineering