If You Thought Robots Were Inflexible, Think Again!

 If You Thought Robots Were Inflexible, Think Again!

Robots typically don’t have any give in them, because they are usually made of hard materials like steel or aluminum. If a robot is made of such rigid materials, it would find it nearly impossible to navigate on sandy beaches or rocky hillsides, let alone work in diverse environments like the inside of your home. Recently, however, researchers at MIT and Harvard created a soft-bodied robot that can move about in all kinds of terrain with agility and precision that would be impossible if the robot were made from traditional materials. You’ll find out how this soft-bodied robot works below!

Why is this important?

Robotics technology has come a long way in recent years, and this latest development is a prime example of that. This new soft 3D-printed robot is designed to be far more agile than its predecessors, able to navigate across sand and rocks without issue. This is important because it opens up a whole new range of potential applications for robots in the future. For instance, they could be used for search and rescue missions in difficult terrain. The possibilities are endless!

What did they do?

A team of researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have created a robot that is both soft and 3D-printed. This gives the robot the ability to be agile, even on sand and rocks. The robot's design was inspired by geckos, which are able to climb walls and ceilings.

How does it work?

The robot's design is based on a four-legged concept called a tetrapod, which is commonly used in legged robots. Each leg has three degrees of freedom: two at the hip and one at the knee. This gives the robot a total of 12 degrees of freedom, which is the same as a human. The difference is that each leg can move independently, allowing the robot to climb over obstacles.

Future applications

In the future, these types of robots could be used for disaster relief missions or search and rescue operations. They could also be used to explore other planets or conduct research in difficult-to-reach areas here on Earth. Basically, anywhere there is a need for a nimble machine that can go where humans can't (or shouldn't), these robots could come in handy.

Next steps

1. We have designed a robot that is soft and lightweight, yet still very strong and agile.

2. Our robot can move across different types of terrain, including sand and rocks.

3. We are now working on adding sensors to our robot so that it can interact with its environment.

4. Once we have added sensors, we will be able to program our robot to perform various tasks.

5. We are also working on making our robot waterproof so that it can be used in different settings.

6. In the future, we hope to mass-produce our robots so that they can be used in a variety of applications.

7. We believe that our robots have the potential to revolutionize the way people interact with their environment.