Articles tagged with Soft Robotics
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a soft robot that can navigate simple mazes without human or computer guidance. The new robot has an asymmetrical design, allowing it to turn and move in arcs, enabling it to navigate complex and dynamic environments.
Researchers created stretchable strain sensors that can measure large and complex deformations accurately. The new sensors respond quickly, detecting deformations in under 22 milliseconds, and can be used to monitor organs for diseases like bladder abnormalities.
Researchers discovered CYP450s exhibit unique soft-robotic properties, acting as sensors and responding to stimuli. The findings open up new avenues in soft-robotics research, potentially revolutionizing fields like AI design and nanomachine synthesis.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a system that uses fluid mechanics and chemo-mechanical processes to autonomously assemble hierarchical 3D structures. The system utilizes sticky bonds to drive self-organization, allowing for the construction of complex devices with minimal external intervention.
Researchers have created a one-of-a-kind shape-shifting display that can generate scrolling text and fast enough to shake a chemistry beaker. The device uses soft robotic muscles that sense outside pressure, pop up to create patterns, and could potentially deliver the sense of touch in a digital age.
Hang aims to develop general-purpose robots that can handle complex physical interactions without requiring perfect input from sensors or extensive instructions. His project seeks to improve robotic manipulation tasks by reducing assumptions about how the robot acts in real-world conditions.
ROSE, a novel soft gripping robotic gripper, boasts remarkable durability, scalability and effectiveness in handling fragile objects, with potential applications in harvesting, sorting and cluttered environments.
A team of researchers at Harvard University has developed a compact, soft pump that can power soft robots in various applications. The pump uses dielectric elastomer actuators and can control pressure, flow rate, and flow direction, making it suitable for biomedical settings.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have created a new type of electric variable-stiffness artificial muscle with self-sensing capabilities, revolutionizing soft robotics and medical applications. The innovative technology enables rapid reactions and force sensing, making it ideal for integration into intricate robotic systems.
Researchers developed a soft robotic exoskeleton glove using AI to improve hand dexterity and classify song variations. The device provides real-time feedback and adjustments, making it easier for users to grasp correct movement techniques, with an accuracy of 97.13% in classifying correct and incorrect song versions.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new type of flexible display that uses capillary-controlled robotic flapping fins and liquid droplets to create switchable optical and infrared light multipixel displays. The displays are 1,000 times more energy efficient than traditional LED screens.
A soft robotics glove with integrated sensors and AI can aid patients in relearning daily tasks after neurotrauma, including playing music. The glove provides hand guidance, amplifying dexterity and motor skills.
Researchers created a robot inspired by pangolins' ability to curl up into a ball, with a soft layer and hard metal components. The robot can emit heat when needed and transport particles like medicines, making it promising for minimally invasive medical procedures.
The study proposes a new method called programmable pulsed aerodynamic printing (PPAP) that enables precise generation of multi-interface droplets with varying Z numbers. This technology has broad potential for applications such as cell encapsulation, controlled drug release, and self-assembly.
Scientists have developed a technique for applying liquid metal to surfaces that don't easily bond with it, using force-responsive adhesion. The method allows for the creation of electronic 'smart devices' from everyday materials like paper and plastic.
A new ankle exosuit designed for community use could help stroke survivors improve their walking propulsion, boost confidence, and ability, according to a proof-of-concept study. The device simplifies mechanical components and allows wearers to control it easily, with sensors tracking progress over time.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have created a fabric and sensing system, RobotSweater, that allows machines to better interact with humans. The knitted textile 'skin' can sense contact and pressure, enabling robots to move in response to human gestures.
The study presents a novel, deployable electrode array for minimally invasive craniosurgery, featuring spiraled arms that unfold over sensitive brain tissue. The device's eversion mechanism allows for arbitrary size deployment with minimal compression on the brain.
A team of scientists from Waseda University and Tokyo Institute of Technology have successfully demonstrated large-angle photothermally resonated high-speed bending induced by pulsed UV irradiation. They used 2,4-dinitroanisole β-phase crystals to achieve a fast natural vibration at 390 Hz with a large photothermal bending angle.
Researchers at Arizona State University have designed a drone with an inflatable frame that can absorb impact forces and provide collision resilience. The drone's stiffness is tunable, allowing it to physically interact with its surroundings and accomplish tasks like perching, which involves controlled collisions.
Researchers at IIT developed a biodegradable seed-robot that can change shape in response to humidity, inspired by the seed structure of a South African geranium. The robot, part of the European project I-Seed, has potential applications in environmental monitoring and reforestation.
A team of researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia has developed a totally edible and rechargeable battery cell, utilizing riboflavin and quercetin as anode and cathode. The battery can provide current for small electronic devices and may have applications in health diagnostics, food quality monitoring, and edible soft robotics.
Researchers developed ProTac, a soft robotic link with multimodal perception to improve human-robot interactions. The device incorporates tactile and proximity sensing capabilities, enabling robots to react safely and predictably to physical contact.
Researchers developed a robotic finger with high-resolution sensors that capture data along the entire length of each finger. The three-fingered robotic hand can identify objects after just one grasp, with 85% accuracy, using tactile sensing and machine-learning algorithms.
A team of researchers has designed fully biodegradable artificial muscles using gelatin, oil, and bioplastics, demonstrating potential for sustainable technology. The new materials system shows outstanding performance and is electromechanically competitive with non-biodegradable counterparts.
The caterpillar-bot uses a novel pattern of silver nanowires to control its movement, with the ability to steer in both directions and navigate through tight spaces. The robot's movement is driven by heating and cooling cycles that allow it to 'relax' before contracting again.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has selected six papers for the 2022 Cozzarelli Prize, recognizing outstanding contributions to scientific disciplines. The awardees include researchers who studied ancient chemistry, Sox8's role in ear development, and soft intelligent autonomous robots.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created soft robots that can transition from walking to swimming, crawling to rolling, or jumping. The robots use highly dynamic bistable soft actuators made of shape-memory alloy springs that react to electrical currents, allowing for varied locomotion and adaptability.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully applied the shape-memory effect to nano-sized objects, overcomes the limitation of objects needing to be larger than 50 nanometers. The material ferroic oxides showed a free-standing nanoscale structure made of ferroic oxides that are highly elastic and resilient.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created a soft material with metal-like conductivity and self-healing properties that can support digital electronics and motors. The material has been demonstrated in various applications, including powering motors and enabling reconfigurable circuits.
Researchers create FMHE with tunable conductivity and stiffness, enabling compensation for robotic manipulators' positional errors. The material's deformation can reset current-liming fuse in case of overload.
Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia have created a soft robot inspired by earthworms, able to crawl using soft actuators that elongate or squeeze. The prototype demonstrates improved locomotion with a speed of 1.35mm/s and has potential applications in underground exploration, excavation, search and rescue operations.
A tiny soft robot has been developed to help doctors perform surgery and search in hard-to-reach places. The robot uses ultraviolet light and magnetic force to climb on any surface, including walls and ceilings, without an external power supply.
A multidisciplinary team developed a physiologically accurate model of octopus arm muscles, providing insight into biological and design challenges. The model enables energy-shaping control, simplifying arm control design and enabling life-like motion in soft robots.
Researchers have developed a procedure to create custom, 3D-printed heart replicas that accurately mimic a patient's specific heart form and function. These replicas can be controlled to mimic the pumping action of the real heart, allowing clinicians to test various treatment options for individual patients.
Researchers create 'Lego-like' BIND interface to assemble stretchable devices with excellent mechanical and electrical performance. The interface allows for easy connection of modules, enabling the development of highly functional wearable devices or soft robots.
Researchers at MIT create a novel approach to building deformable underwater robots using simple repeating substructures. The system can assemble into various shapes and sizes, offering scalability and efficiency improvements over current technologies.
Researchers developed an elastic material using liquid metal that resists both gases and liquids, offering a trade-off between elasticity and gas resistance. The material, created with gallium-indium alloy, has been tested to prevent the escape of oxygen and liquids, showing promising potential for use in high-value tech packaging
A team of researchers from Harvard and MGH developed a soft robotic wearable capable of significantly assisting upper arm and shoulder movement in people with ALS. The device improved range of motion, reduced muscle fatigue, and increased performance of tasks like holding or reaching for objects.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new system of fluid-driven actuators that enable soft robots to achieve more complex motions. The team's design allows for antagonistic motions and predicts the actuator's possible motions with a single fluid input, resulting in an actuator that can achieve far more complex movements.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder designed a new rubber-like film that can jump high into the air like a grasshopper. The material responds by storing and releasing energy, similar to how grasshoppers store energy in their legs.
Scientists successfully used lab-produced tissue samples to remotely control muscle-driven miniature robots with this innovative technology. The device allows researchers a new level of interaction and exploration in the field of biological robots.
Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design developed a new reconfigurable workspace soft robotic gripper that can pick and place a wide range of consumer items. The RWS gripper's adaptive capabilities make it particularly useful in logistics and food industries where robotic automation is crucial.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created a new gel-based robot that can crawl through the air and on surfaces using only temperature changes, paving the way for human-like robots and biomedical applications. The 'gelbots' could be used to deliver targeted medicines or patrol ocean surfaces.
Researchers create a soft robot that can detect damage and heal itself using stretchable fiber-optic sensors and polyurethane urea elastomer. The SHeaLDS technology provides a damage-resistant robot that can self-heal from cuts, and the researchers plan to integrate it with machine learning algorithms for more tasks.
Researchers at University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science developed a new electrostatically controlled clutch that enables soft robotic hands to hold 4 pounds, 40 times more than before. The clutch uses a fracture-mechanics-based model to achieve this feat while requiring only 125 volts of electricity.
Researchers at KAUST have developed a soft and flexible electronic 'e-skin' that can detect minute temperature differences between inhalation and exhalation, as well as touch and body motion. The material's island-bridge atomic structure provides an inherent softness and flexibility ideal for on-skin applications.
Researchers describe a new model for self-organization in biological and technical systems, leveraging local interactions and information processing. This paradigm shift can help design soft robots that communicate via electromagnetic waves, enabling applications such as drug administration in the human body.
Researchers at NC State University have created an energy-efficient soft robot that can swim more than four times faster than previous models. The 'butterfly bots' use bistable wings for propulsion and achieve speeds of up to 3.74 body lengths per second.
CSU researchers created the first successful soft robotic gripper capable of manipulating individual droplets of liquid, enabling precise and lossless liquid cleanup work. The innovative device is lightweight, inexpensive, and can be used for hazardous liquid cleanup scenarios.
A team of researchers developed a new method for 3D-printing microrobots with multiple component modules inside the same microfluidic chip. The 'assembly line' approach allowed for the combination of various modules, such as joints and grippers, into a single device. This innovation may help realize the vision of microsurgery performed...
Researchers at NC State University have developed a ring-shaped soft robot capable of crawling across surfaces when exposed to elevated temperatures or infrared light. The 'ringbots' are made of liquid crystal elastomers in the shape of looped ribbon, resembling a bracelet, and can pull a small payload across various environments.
Researchers developed a new device, MAGENTA, that prevents and supports muscle atrophy recovery. The device stimulates muscles to stretch and contract, triggering key molecular pathways for growth. It has potential applications in treating various diseases such as ALS and MS.
Researchers have discovered a new process that uses fuel to control non-living materials, similar to living cells. This breakthrough enables the creation of soft robots that can sense their environment and respond accordingly.
Researchers designed a soft, jellyfish-like gripper that uses entangled tentacles to grasp and hold heavy, oddly shaped objects. The gripper's strength comes from its ability to entangle itself with the object, increasing the hold with each contact.
Researchers developed a wearable soft robot called Reliebo that reduces pain and fear in patients undergoing injections. The robot's effectiveness was proven in a study where participants who wore the robot experienced less pain and reduced stress levels than those without it.
Researchers at UT Austin developed a semicrystalline polymer that combines strength and flexibility, overcoming challenges of mixed materials in robotics and electronics. The new material is 10 times as tough as natural rubber and can be controlled with light.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh create microcapsules that exhibit life-like autonomy through self-generated motion and chemical signals. The system mimics protocell behavior, showcasing the potential for simple mechanisms to produce complex biological functions.
Rice undergrad Colter Decker creates programmable, air-driven circuits that can perform Boolean functions using compressed air. The system combines digital and analog components, simplifying the overall architecture and achieving new capabilities.
Researchers developed a plant-inspired extrusion process for synthetic material growth, enabling soft robots to create new material and navigate obstacles. This technology has applications in remote areas and biomedical fields, potentially reducing the need for expensive machinery.