Fukitorimushi is an autonomous floor-cleaning robot that looks like a pillow with a roving Cylon-like electric eye that scans the floor while it crawls like a grime hungry inchworm using a super-absorbent nanofiber cloth gut to wipe up microscopic dust and dirt that ordinary vacuums leave behind. Panasonic designed and demonstrated Fukitorimushi (“wipe-up bug”) at the Tokyo Fiber Senseware expositions in Milan and Tokyo. Fukitorimushi incorporates nanofiber technology developed by textile maker Teijin, Ltd. The robot cleans by dragging its nanocloth belly across the floor as it slowly moves in search of dirt.
Fukitorimushi moves around by
flexing and stretching its body like an inchworm. The robot uses “feelers” of
blue-white light to search for floor grime. When it finds a dirty spot, the
robot emits a red light and devotes extra effort to cleaning that area. After
it has finished cleaning, the machine returns to its charging station to
replenish its battery.
flexing and stretching its body like an inchworm. The robot uses “feelers” of
blue-white light to search for floor grime. When it finds a dirty spot, the
robot emits a red light and devotes extra effort to cleaning that area. After
it has finished cleaning, the machine returns to its charging station to
replenish its battery.
Fukitorimushi’s body is covered
in Nanofront cloth. Teijin’s Nanofront™ is the world’s first 700 nanometer
ultra fine polyester nanofiber "Nanofront™. which is made of polyester filament fibers
measuring 700 nanometers in diameter (about 7,500 times thinner than the
average human hair). The nanofibers significantly increase the fabric’s surface
area and porosity, giving it superior wiping characteristics and the ability to
absorb oil and ultra-fine dust particles less than one micron in diameter. The
large surface contact area also increases the fabric’s friction with the floor
and makes it resistant to sliding. The robot relies on this increased friction
to push itself forward while wiping the floor.
in Nanofront cloth. Teijin’s Nanofront™ is the world’s first 700 nanometer
ultra fine polyester nanofiber "Nanofront™. which is made of polyester filament fibers
measuring 700 nanometers in diameter (about 7,500 times thinner than the
average human hair). The nanofibers significantly increase the fabric’s surface
area and porosity, giving it superior wiping characteristics and the ability to
absorb oil and ultra-fine dust particles less than one micron in diameter. The
large surface contact area also increases the fabric’s friction with the floor
and makes it resistant to sliding. The robot relies on this increased friction
to push itself forward while wiping the floor.
The new “island-in-sea”
composite spinning technology has solved the problem of unstable quality associated
with conventional mass-production nanofibers. The surface area woven in long
fibers structure could be tens of times greater than conventional fibers. This
enhances water absorption, absorbability of particulates, and
anti-translucency. The texture feels soft to the skin, and reduces irritation
drastically. Nanofront™. cloth is suitable for a variety of applications,
including functional sportswear, innerwear, skin care products, antibacterial
filter, and precision grinding cloth
composite spinning technology has solved the problem of unstable quality associated
with conventional mass-production nanofibers. The surface area woven in long
fibers structure could be tens of times greater than conventional fibers. This
enhances water absorption, absorbability of particulates, and
anti-translucency. The texture feels soft to the skin, and reduces irritation
drastically. Nanofront™. cloth is suitable for a variety of applications,
including functional sportswear, innerwear, skin care products, antibacterial
filter, and precision grinding cloth
