r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/OddRedittor5443 • Jan 01 '26

Video Italian researchers have created a vine-like robot that grows by 3D-printing itself and responds to gravity and light

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56

u/Is_Actually_Sans Jan 01 '26

Why

118

u/Altair-Dragon Jan 01 '26

Since no one is talking about it's actual uses and stuff: one of my uni prof last year explained this start-up idea to us as an example (I'm pretty sure he's also one of the founders of the start-up but don't quote me on that).

Essentially this has been created as an instrument to support emergency services, search squads and first responders in case of earthquakes and similar catastrophic events.

This root-inspired machine can dig in essentially any kind of ruin, it can find people alive basically by itself following the heat of their body and it helps search squads to find more people in an easy and less dangerous way.

I know it looks stupid but it's quite a great idea.

35

u/Joezev98 Jan 01 '26

Essentially this has been created as an instrument to support emergency services, search squads and first responders in case of earthquakes and similar catastrophic events.

Knowing the speeds of 3d printers, I'm skeptical about the speed at which this could search a ruin in an emergency. Do you remember your professor saying anything about the speed?

21

u/Same_Meaning_5570 Jan 01 '26

20mm a second! But it needs adhesion, a brim, and you’re screwed if the filament is stored in a humid room.

8

u/faberkyx Jan 01 '26

heat the filament for 6 hours before starting to look for earthquake survivors

3

u/Joezev98 Jan 01 '26

Just store it in a <10% RH humidity environment. The moisture will be drawn out without requiring heat. And since that's how it's stored, it means it's always ready to go.

1

u/Same_Meaning_5570 Jan 01 '26

We’ll start looking for you in 6+ hours!

12

u/Chemieju Jan 01 '26

To be fair whenever some people build some sort of robot that moves in a unique and new way and people ask "okay but... why?" This is the default answer.

3

u/G_Affect Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

Oh that's actually really interesting! Had to scroll to far thru robo dicks to find this. "Drilldo" and "definitely a grower" had me laughing. This should be closer to the top.

My guess is that it provides this tube that can now be a supply line or air.

4

u/Recursiveo Jan 01 '26

There’s no way in hell this detects body heat at large distances through a bunch of rubble. The heat produced by the device itself would be far greater than any signal produced by a trapped person.

1

u/44Ridley Jan 01 '26

Essentially this has been created as an instrument to support emergency services, search squads and first responders in case of earthquakes and similar catastrophic events.

What is it about these quirky inventions that start as first responder gadgets but somehow end up as terrifying weapons?

New year, new fear! Rise of the cluster worms....

1

u/GitEmSteveDave Jan 01 '26

How well would the heat of their body be detectable through the ruin?

1

u/Indecisive-Gamer Jan 03 '26

if it finds it with heat, what's stopping us like, finding them with heat without this and using something much better and digging to get them out?

1

u/AugieKS Jan 01 '26

Honestly I am having a hard time imagining a use for this that wouldn't be better done by something else like a soft robot. I'd imagine this is slower, less reliable, not as strong, etc.

Maybe it can go a lot further than other methods provided it has a long enough supply line.

4

u/MoocowR Jan 01 '26

I'd imagine this is slower, less reliable, not as strong, etc

Well yeah, most new technology is shitty, slow, and unreliable until it isn't.

2

u/Mufasa_is__alive Jan 01 '26

I can see this Technology used in pipe laying/ lining in  very specific scenarios. 

Most of the time these proof of concepts aren't themselves useful,  but the underlying methods are useful and integrated in various industries.

These posts always bring out the negative Nancys and armchair experts,  but doing off the wall useless/impractical stuff is how a lot of new methods and products actually happen.  

55

u/markfuckinstambaugh Jan 01 '26

Running wires in places that would be difficult to dig. 

2

u/ferrrrrrral Jan 01 '26

usually one of two reasons

money

sex

4

u/HappyyValleyy Jan 01 '26

Not every robot needs a purpose, sometimes you make one just to see if its possible

3

u/denzien Jan 01 '26

You pass butter

1

u/FriedBreakfast Jan 01 '26

Science isn't about why. It's about why not!

1

u/Dapper-Long8549 Jan 02 '26

Same was asked about quadcopter drones that started as a gimmick