Normally, when someone says “robots,” people think of mechanical humans, maybe a metallic animal. Well, roboticists in Italy are now working on a plant-inspired robot. They call it a plantoid.
“It is a seed that, placed on any kind of soil, will develop roots with sensors that explore the subsoil and a tree-like plant whose leaves consist of solar panels,” reads an online brochure.
Professor Stefano Mancuso has teamed up with the European Space Agency to design the plantoids, which they hope to someday sow across Mars and other nearby planets. Its metal roots would search for water and minerals in the soil, while the stem sends reports back to the space agency. The plantoids could also hunt for landmines here on Earth. Early estimates said that the project could blossom by the end of the year.
