‘Origami robots’ are state-of-the-art soft and flexible robots that are being tested for use in various applications including drug delivery in human bodies, search and rescue missions in disaster environments and humanoid robotic arms.
Because these robots need to be flexible, they are often made from soft materials such as paper, plastic and rubber. To be functional, sensors and electrical components are often added on top, but these add bulk to the devices.
Now, a team of NUS researchers has developed a novel method of creating a new metal-based material for use in these soft robots.
Combining metals such as platinum with burnt paper (ash), the new material has enhanced capabilities while maintaining the foldability and lightweight features of traditional paper and plastic. In fact, the new material is half as light as paper, which also makes it more power efficient.
These characteristics make this material a strong candidate for making flexible and light prosthetic limbs which can be as much as 60 per cent lighter than their conventional counterparts. Such prosthetics can provide real-time strain sensing to give feedback on how much they are flexing, giving users finer control and immediate information — all without the need for external sensors which would otherwise add unwanted weight to the prosthetic.
This light-weight metallic backbone is at least three times lighter than conventional materials used to fabricate origami robots. It is also more power-efficient, enabling origami robots to work faster using 30 per cent less energy. Furthermore, the novel material is fire-resistant, making it suitable for fabricating robots that work in harsh environments as it can withstand burning at about 800°C for up to 5 minutes.
As an added advantage, the novel conductive material has geothermal heating capabilities on-demand — sending a voltage through the material causes it to heat up, which helps to prevent icing damage when a robot works in a cold environment. These properties can be used in the creation of light, flexible search-and-rescue robots that can enter hazardous areas while providing real-time feedback and communication.
Research breakthrough published in prestigious Science Robotics journal
The metal-based material is produced through a new process developed by the team called ‘graphene oxide-enabled templating synthesis’. Cellulose paper is first soaked into a graphene oxide solution, before dipping it into a solution made of metallic ions such as platinum. The material is then burned in an inert gas, argon, at 800°C and then at 500°C in air.
The final product is a thin layer of metal — 90 micrometres (?m), or 0.09mm — made up of 70 per cent platinum and 30 per cent amorphous carbon (ash) that is flexible enough to bend, fold, and stretch. This significant research breakthrough was published in the prestigious scientific journal Science Robotics on 28 August 2019. Other metals such as gold and silver can also be used.
Team leader Assistant Professor Chen Po-Yen used a cellulose template cut out in the shape of a phoenix for his research. “We are inspired by the mythical creature. Just like the phoenix, it can be burnt to ash and reborn to become more powerful than before,” said Asst Prof Chen, from NUS Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Conductive backbone for smarter origami robots
The team’s material can function as mechanically stable, soft, and conductive backbones that equips robots with strain sensing and communication capabilities without the need for external electronics. Being conductive means the material acts as its own wireless antenna, allowing it to communicate with a remote operator or other robots without the need for external communication modules. This expands the scope of origami robots, such as working in high-risk environments (e.g. chemical spills and fire disaster) as remote-control untethered robots or functioning as artificial muscles or humanoid robotic arms.
“We experimented with different electrically conductive materials to finally derive a unique combination that achieves optimal strain sensing and wireless communication capabilities. Our invention therefore expands the library of unconventional materials for the fabrication of advanced robots,” said Mr Yang Haitao, doctoral student at NUS Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the first author of the study.
In the next steps of their research, Asst Prof Chen and his team are looking at adding more functions to the metallic backbone. One promising direction is to incorporate electrochemically active materials to fabricate energy storage devices such that the material itself is its own battery, allowing for the creation of self-powered robots. The team is also experimenting with other metals such as copper, which will lower the cost of the material’s production.
Learn more: NUS researchers create new metallic material for flexible soft robots
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Flexible robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”flexible robots” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Flexible robots
- DeepMind is experimenting with a nearly indestructible robot handon May 8, 2024 at 4:00 pm
A new robotic hand can withstand being smashed by pistons or walloped with a hammer. It was designed to survive the trial-and-error interactions required to train AI robots ...
- 10,000+ Shoppers Just Bought This Flexible Garden Hose that Doesn’t Twist, and It’s 57% Off at Amazonon May 8, 2024 at 4:00 am
Amazon slashed the price of the Flexzilla Garden Hose by 57 percent. More than 20,000 shoppers recently bought the lightweight, flexible garden hose with leak-free connections thanks to its durable ...
- ABB expands line of modular industrial robotson May 7, 2024 at 8:26 am
ABB introduced the IRB 7710 and IRB 7720 industrial robot arms that offer 16 new variants and are designed for a variety of applications.
- Global Industrial Robots Market Valuation to Exceed USD 25,828.99 Million Mark by 2033, Growing at an Outstanding 17.20% CAGRon May 7, 2024 at 8:11 am
The global industrial robots market is poised for exceptional growth, projected to exceed a valuation of USD 25,828.99 million by 2033. Driving this remarkable expansion is a robust Compound Annual ...
- Caterpillar-like robot can split, rejoin, haul cargo, crawl through mazeson May 6, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Marking a significant advancement, a soft robot that effortlessly bends and twists around mazes was created by engineers at Princeton and North Carolina State Universities.
- FANUC’s New CRX-10iA/L Paint: World’s First Global Ex-Proof Collaborative Paint Roboton May 6, 2024 at 8:24 am
FANUC’s CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot is the first explosion-proof collaborative paint robot for use and sale globally. (Photo: Business Wire) FANUC CRX cobots have helped automate more applications, ...
- There's a Surprising Reason Why Robots Can't Outrun The Fastest Animalson May 5, 2024 at 2:00 pm
We've made some significant steps forward in robotics and AI in recent years, but haven't yet built robots that can outpace the best that nature has to offer – and new research explores the key ...
- How Alphadroid Is Reinventing The Indian Hospitality Space With Its Autonomous Roboton May 3, 2024 at 9:30 pm
Founded in 2023 by Sanjeev Kumar and incubated at IIIT Lucknow, Alphadroid provides service robots for all categories of restaurants ...
- Elon Musk's robot Optimus: Egg arranging and squats in the fridgeon May 2, 2024 at 8:30 am
Meet Optimus, Elon Musk's robot in final development stages; work set to finish year-end. Bold promises met eventually, as history suggests. Humanoid robots aim to address labor needs.
- Kassow Robots Launches 7-axis Cobot Series with a Controller Integrated into the Baseon May 1, 2024 at 9:44 am
We make sure that automation can be implemented more flexibly in less space for companies of all sizes,” says Dieter Pletscher, Global Sales Manager at Kassow Robots. Companies that cannot expand or ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Soft flexible robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”soft flexible robots” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Soft flexible robots
- DeepMind is experimenting with a nearly indestructible robot handon May 8, 2024 at 4:00 pm
A new robotic hand can withstand being smashed by pistons or walloped with a hammer. It was designed to survive the trial-and-error interactions required to train AI robots ...
- Video shows how swarms of miniature robots simultaneously clean up microplastics and microbeson May 8, 2024 at 5:00 am
When old food packaging, discarded children's toys and other mismanaged plastic waste break down into microplastics, they become even harder to clean up from oceans and waterways. These tiny bits of ...
- Caterpillar-like robot can split, rejoin, haul cargo, crawl through mazeson May 6, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Marking a significant advancement, a soft robot that effortlessly bends and twists around mazes was created by engineers at Princeton and North Carolina State Universities.
- Caterbot? Robatapillar? It crawls with ease through loops and bendson May 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Engineers created a catapillar-shaped robot that splits into segments and reassembles, hauls cargo, and crawls through twisting courses.
- Soft robotics inspired by spider legs improves dexterity of delicate movementson May 2, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Soft robotics engineers at the University of Tartu are building ... A rigid exoskeleton covers the spider's body, trapping the fluid inside while allowing for flexible movement. "It is this ...
- New ‘soft robot’ can crawl and move like origami foldson May 1, 2024 at 12:00 am
Engineers created a flexible, modular soft robot inspired by origami that can navigate, carry cargo, and adapt to its environment.
- CMU Researchers, Robots Head To Nation’s Capital for Robotics Showcaseon April 29, 2024 at 8:21 am
Carnegie Mellon University researchers from its Robotics Institute and College of Engineering are packing up fossil-inspired paleobionics, robotic hands and autonomous aerial vehicles to demonstrate ...
- Soft robotic nerve cuffs could revolutionize treatment of neurological conditionson April 26, 2024 at 5:49 pm
Researchers have developed tiny, flexible devices that can wrap around individual nerve fibres without damaging them.
- Scientists Make Breakthrough in Chronic Pain Treatmenton April 26, 2024 at 7:53 am
Scientists have developed tiny robotic nerve "cuffs" to diagnose and treat neurological disorders. The flexible devices offer a safer, minimally invasive alternative to today's diagnostics and could ...
- Robotic nerve 'cuffs' could help treat a range of neurological conditionson April 25, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Researchers have developed tiny, flexible devices that can wrap around individual nerve fibers without damaging them. The researchers combined flexible electronics and soft robotics techniques to ...