Soft robots can bend, walk and grip. And, unlike their rigid counterparts, some can get flattened and bounce back into shape. Now scientists report a new advance in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces: a way to make elastic material for soft robots that changes color when it stretches. They say this process opens the door to robot camouflage, new ways to deliver medicines and other applications.
Most commercial robots are stiff, made of hard plastics and metal parts. But the supple robots under development could bridge the gap between today’s inflexible varieties and the more fluid and forgiving movements of animals and humans. These machines work when operators pump them with gases or liquids. This inflation results in specific shape changes and desired movements. To impart more versatility to the devices, Stephen L. Craig and colleagues wanted to take advantage of the molecular changes that occur when a robot curls or twists.
The researchers incorporated color-changing compounds in their robots’ material that are activated when stretched. This feature could help a robot camouflage itself when it moves. And, because the color change is most intense where the strain on the material is highest, it also can indicate where it’s vulnerable to breaking. The researchers note that other compounds could also be added to release drug molecules, make a robot glow or repair the material when it ruptures.
The Latest on: Soft robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Soft robots” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Soft robots
- 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.
- Medical Fiction: The Adventures of J4K, The Surgical Roboton April 26, 2024 at 7:40 am
In a hospital basement, surgical robot J4K is awakened when lightning disrupts its update. It then embarks on a mission, searching for patients in need.
- Underwater robot pioneers new energy-efficient buoyancy controlon April 25, 2024 at 11:17 am
A remotely operated underwater robot built by a team of Rice University engineering students pioneers a new way to control buoyancy via water-splitting fuel cells. The device, designed and constructed ...
- This robot can predict a smile before it happenson April 24, 2024 at 11:17 am
STORY: This AI-integrated robotic face can predict a smile before it happens.It's called Emo and it can anticipate and mimic human facial expressions.Engineers at Columbia University’s Creative ...
- 3D Printed Soft Skin Pads Offer Enhanced Safety and Usability in Roboticson April 23, 2024 at 9:00 am
Researchers at the University of Illinois have leveraged 3D printing to develop soft skin pads to enhance safety and usability in robotics.
- Industrial Robots and Their Human Counterpartson April 23, 2024 at 8:35 am
The conversation around robots and their use in manufacturing has long been controversial. Many fear that the introduction of robots into the workplace will displace human jobs. In some respects, yes, ...
- San Diego students show their robotics talent and innovation at the World Championships in Houstonon April 19, 2024 at 6:11 pm
Nine teams from San Diego County are in Houston, they’re competing in the FIRST Robotics World Championships. Today, teams from around the world played more qualification matches. KPBS Education ...
- How 3D printers can give robots a soft touchon April 16, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Soft skin coverings and touch sensors have emerged as a promising feature for robots that are both safer and more intuitive for human interaction, but they are expensive and difficult to make.
- Lone Star College Robotics-Automated Manufacturing Technology program prepares future mechatronics workforceon April 16, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Robotics-automated manufacturing technology (mechatronics) is an exciting career path for those students interested in working with mechanics, robotics and production equipment.
- Bloomington robotics team headed to world championships in Houstonon April 16, 2024 at 1:47 am
F.I.R.S.T., or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen in order to prepare PreK-12 students for ...
via Bing News