Energy Autonomy: Ecobot

One goal of our work is to build energetically autonomous robots. For this, the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology is employed to extract electrical energy from refined foods such as sugar and unrefined foods such as insects and fruit. This is achieved by extracting electrons from the microbial metabolic processes. To be truly autonomous, robots will be required to incorporate in their behavioural repertoire actions that involve searching, collecting and digesting food. The robot will be designed to remain inactive until sufficient energy has been generated to complete its next task. This may prove to be a paradigm shift in the way action selection mechanisms are designed - (Project code-name:‘EcoBot’).

So far, two such robots, namely EcoBot-I and EcoBot-II have been developed, which - to some extent - exhibit this type of behaviour. EcoBot-I, which was developed in 2002, employed E. coli and was fed with sugar and EcoBot-II, which was developed in 2004 used sludge microbes and was fed (amongst other substrates) with dead insects and food waste (watch video).

This project, using the same MFC technology, is also looking into underwater autonomy based on artificial gills for robots.

Ecobot Project & Team

For more information or any comments about the ecobot project please email to ioannis.ieropoulos@brl.ac.uk