Pentagon Funded Experiment Develops Robots that Change by ‘Consuming’ Other Robots

Pentagon Funded Experiment Develops Robots that Change by ‘Consuming’ Other Robots

A team of researchers at Columbia University, funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, have developed “machines that can grow by consuming other machines.” Video of the experiment shows tubular robots that move by extending their shafts to inch along the ground. As the tubes gather, they connect and form into more complex shapes like triangles and tetrahedrons. With each piece consumed, the whole moves faster and with mor…

DARPA Robots Evolve by Consuming Defunct Units, Sparking Ethical Debates

In the shadowy corridors of military innovation, a Pentagon-funded experiment is pushing the boundaries of robotics, creating machines that can “consume” other robots to adapt, repair, and evolve in real time. This development, emerging from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiatives, draws on concepts akin to biological metabolism, allowing robots to scavenge parts from their mechanical kin to enhance functionality. According…