EcoBot-II: An artificial agent with a natural metabolism

Ieropoulos, Ioannis; Melhuish, Chris; Greenman, John; Horsfield, Ian

Abstract

In this paper we report the development of the robot EcoBot-II, which exhibits a primitive form of artificial symbiosis. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) were used as the onboard energy supply, which consisted of bacterial cultures from sewage sludge and employed oxygen from free air for oxidation at the cathode. EcoBot-II was able to perform sensing, information processing, communication and actuation when fed (amongst other substrates) with flies. This is the first robot in the world, to utilise unrefined substrate, oxygen from free air and exhibit four different types of behaviour.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2005
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 20, 2016
• Journal: International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems
• Print ISSN: 1729-8806
• Electronic ISSN: 1729-8814
• Publisher: SAGE Publications (UK and US)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 295-300
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/5777
• Keywords: energy autonomy, microbial fuel cells, artificial symbiosis, oxygen cathodes, sewage sludge
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1052020
• Publisher URL: http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/ecobot-ii__an_artificial_agent_with_a_natural_metabolism
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This paper reports on the results of experiments carried out with the world's first robot to exhibit a crude form of autonomy conducted by a team of roboticists and micro-biologists. This represents a unique original thread of research since it explores the generation of power for a robot from bacterial cultures feeding on unrefined biomass (dead insects) in the anodic chamber with free atmospheric oxygen with the cathode. It has attracted the attention of the national and international media and the London Science Museum. The paper contributed to further European funding to develop a robot capable of ingestion and egestion. The paper is used in the teaching of robotics degree courses and the work will form part of a chapter of a US authored book reviewing MFCs.
• Contract Date: Feb 20, 2016