A giant paper thin robot spider was created by the researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation in Stuttgart, Germany for toxic testing.

Robospiders were created out of thin layers of powder melted with a laser beam. As the layer thickens, the spider comes to life. They have eight pneumatic leg joints to which four of them remain on the ground while the other four move around. And for them to use their legs to jump, they are fitted with compressor pumps that are filled with fluid.

These creepy crawlers were created to enter toxic areas to check chemical accidents.

Past Chemical Accidents

Chemical accidents are common in researchers and scientists trying to find out answers to questions and ways to improve things. And because of that, their lives are at risk of danger. Hazardous chemicals can cause burns and even worse, can burn down the whole building. That’s why scientists are very careful in handling them.

The most recent case of chemical accident caused explosion in Japan. Fukushima Daiiji Nuclear Power Station in Japan exploded on March 12 after an earthquake. Two more explosions doomed the building the following day. All these happened because the cooling system on nuclear reactors failed causing explosion.

In 2008, 13 people were killed by an explosion fueled by combustible sugar in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Many people were also injured due to the explosion of the Imperial Sugar plant.

These are among the reasons why researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation came to an idea of creating something that can actually check and monitor chemical activities to save lives and prevent huge damages.

Basically, explosion is the main danger caused by chemical accidents. But the damages caused depend on what types of hazardous substances are involved.

Toxic substances can also contaminate air and water that can cause poisoning and infection. Aside from that, exposure to radiation is also possible. And it can cause serious health problems to people living near the laboratory or near the area where the chemical accident takes place especially children and pregnant women.