Year of the Blue Snake: scientific community sees snakes as great source of inspiration

[Anchor]

This year is the Year of the Blue Snake.

Snakes can be a source of fear due to their distinct appearance, but in the scientific community, they are a source of inspiration for various technological innovations.

Reporter Shin Ji-soo introduces several related technologies.

[Report]

It swiftly passes through narrow tubes and moves nimbly between the debris of buildings.

This is a 'robot snake' designed to mimic the appearance and movement of a snake.

Equipped with various sensors on its head, it can search for people in need of rescue.

[Kim Mu-rim/Director of the Korea Robot Convergence Research Institute: "The snake shape is currently the most suitable for entering narrow spaces. It mimics the movement patterns of snakes in nature to move like a snake..."]

There is also a battery that utilizes the characteristics of snake scales.

By connecting multiple hexagonal battery cells shaped like scales, it becomes possible to stretch and bend freely.

This can be used as a battery for wearable robots that can be worn like clothing.

[Hyun Seung-min/Principal Researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials: "The battery itself does not bend or stretch, but since they are connected, the connected parts can stretch."]

However, the reality is that technologies mimicking the characteristics of snakes are not easy to commercialize due to high initial development costs.

Nevertheless, many in the scientific community point out that if robotic technology is combined with AI, its range of applications could expand further. The core technology itself is key to future technologies, which national-level support should be considered for.

This is KBS News, Shin Ji-soo.