“Stiquito” is a six-legged robot bug used to introduce students to robotics. It is also sold in books, kits, and experiments to high schools and colleges across the world.

The bug was created by Jonathan Mills at the University of Indiana. UNC Charlotte professor James Conrad ordered a kit and enhanced it by attaching a microprocessor to its back, enabling it to move independently of its operator.

According to Conrad, the bug is one of the easiest creatures to duplicate.
“Insects are easiest because inherently their brain structure is small. It doesn’t take as much computing power to duplicate what they do.”

He even envisions Stiquito crawling into the food industry. “Say you are a farmer and you want to eradicate a nasty group of insects from your plants, you could spread tons of pesticides around the fields, or you could hire a swarm of Stiquito insects to go around and eradicate the pests.”

Though the field of robotics is very technical and precise, Conrad says a robot can provide instant gratification to its creator. “What I like about working with robotics is that you can see immediate results. Either it works or it doesn’t. You don’t have to wait around to see if you have done it correctly.”

From The Charlotte Observer, via Mobile Robotics.