DARPA is hosting an Olympic Games for bug-sized robots

DARPA is well known for big, expensive and frankly terrifying robots like Big Dog, but for its latest project it's thinking much smaller. The agency has announced a new program called SHRIMP (SHort-Range Independent Microrobotic Platforms), to create a new generation of micro-robots small enough to fit on a fingertip.

Big Dog can pick its way across uneven terrain in combat zones and disaster areas, but its size means there are some areas it simply can't pass. An insect-sized robot could scurry through rubble and obstacles unhindered – provided the technology can be made small enough.

Building a better bug

DARPA is challenging teams of researchers to create and demonstrate tiny robots capable of carrying out complex tasks in the field, striking a tricky balance of size, power and dexterity.

Each team's tiny bots will be put through an "Olympic-style evaluation" that will test maneuverability (on flat surfaces and slopes), speed, and load-carrying ability.

“While the goal of SHRIMP is develop small-scale, independent robotics platforms, we anticipate that discoveries made through our actuator and power storage research could prove beneficial to a number of fields currently constrained by these technical challenges – from prosthetics to optical steering," said DARPA program manager Dr Ronald Polcawich.