Humans, animals, and machines push against each other whenever they move around the world. Physicists used to think that this was a constant. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that bodies in curved spaces can move without being pushed against.
The findings were published in the national academy of sciences A robot confined to a spherical surface with unprecedented levels of isolation from its environment was created by a group of researchers.
Rocklin said that they let the shape-changing object move on a sphere to study the motion in curved space. As the robot changed its shape, it inched forward around the sphere in a way that could not be attributed to environmental interactions.
A path is being created.
The researchers wanted to know how an object moved in a curved area. In order to confine the object on the sphere with minimal interaction or exchange of momentum with the environment in the curved space, they let a set of motors drive on curved tracks. The system was connected to a rotating shaft so that the motor always moved on a sphere. The alignment of the shaft was adjusted with the Earth's gravity in order to minimize the residual force of gravity.
There were slight forces on the robot as it moved. The forces hybridized with the effects of the curve to create a weird dynamic. An important demonstration of how curved spaces can be attained and how it fundamentally challenges physical laws is provided by the research. Rocklin hopes the techniques developed will allow other researchers to look at the curved spaces.
There are applications in space.
While the effects are small, as robotics becomes increasingly precise, understanding this curvature-induced effect may be of practical importance. The principles of how a space's curve can be harnessed for movement may be able to allow a space craft to navigate around a black hole.
The "Impossible Engine" study is related to this research. The creator claimed that it could move forward. It was impossible, but because spacetime is slightly curved, a device could move forward without any external forces or emitting a propellant.
More information: Shengkai Li et al, Robotic swimming in curved space via geometric phase, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200924119 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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