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Researchers have found that when objects live in curved spaces, they can move without pushing against an object.
Robotic movement in curved space violates the normal laws of physics
As people, animals, and machines move around the world, they always push against something, such as land, air, or water. Until recently, physicists assumed that this was constant following the law of conservation of momentum. However, scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have now proven the opposite – when bodies live in curved spaces; can Move without actually pushing yourself into something.
These findings were published on July 28, 2022 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the paper, a team of scientists created a robot that was confined to a spherical surface with an unprecedented degree of isolation from its surroundings, so that the effects of these curves would dominate. The researchers were led by Zeb Rocklin, an assistant professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech.
“We allow our shape-shifting object to move through a curved surface, which is the easiest way to systematically study its motion in a curved surface,” Rocklin said. “We learned that the predicted result, which was highly contradictory and rejected by some physicists, was that the robot moved around the sphere in a way that could not be attributed to environmental interactions as it changed shape.”
Experimental realization of a swimmer on a sphere with motors moving on a freely rotating boom arm. Credit: Georgia Tech
Creating a curved path
The scientists set out to study how an object moves in a curved space. They were supposed to confine the object on the sphere with minimal interaction or exchange of momentum with the environment at the point of curvature. To do this, assembled motors move as a moving mass on curved tracks. Then they connected this system to a fully rotating shaft so that the motors would always move on the sphere. The shaft is supported by air bearings and bushings to reduce friction. The shaft alignment is adjusted to Earth’s gravity to minimize residual gravity.
From here, as the robot continues to move, gravity and friction create a small force on it. These forces combined with energetic influences cannot induce strange dynamic behavior by themselves. The study provides an important demonstration of how curved surfaces can be discovered and challenges physical laws and perceptions designed for flat surfaces. Rocklin hopes the experimental techniques he developed will allow other researchers to explore these kinks.
Applications in space and beyond
Although the results are small, understanding this curvature-effect could be of practical importance as robotics become more precise, just as the small frequency shift caused by gravity becomes critical to enable GPS systems to accurately transmit their position to orbiting satellites. Finally, the principles of how to use space shuttles to move allow space shuttles to move around the most curved space around.[{” attribute=””>black hole.
“This research also relates to the ‘Impossible Engine’ study,” said Rocklin. “Its creator claimed that it could move forward without any propellant. That engine was indeed impossible, but because spacetime is very slightly curved, a device could actually move forward without any external forces or emitting a propellant – a novel discovery.”
Reference: “Locomotion without force, and impulse via dissipation: Robotic swimming in curved space via geometric phase” by Shengkai Li, Tianyu Wang, Velin H. Kojouharov, James McInerney, Enes Aydin, Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin, Daniel I. Goldman and D. Zeb Rocklin, 28 July 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200924119
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