Robots Re-Designed

Original Article: Soft Robots that Mimic Human Muscles

As science progresses on the technological side, what has been eagerly developed over the recent years are robots. When what is usually associated with a robot are adjectives such as cold and rigid, but researchers have come up with a development that turns those associations on their heads with 'soft robots'.

Soft robots made out of elastomer
Credit: Mard Delachaux / EPFL2016

These soft robots have been designed to be used on the human body to assist movement for potential usage in rehabilitation, transporting fragile objects, bio-mimetic systems and home care. The robots are made of elastomers that include silicon and rubber, and are controlled by changing the air pressure in specially designed 'soft balloons' which also serve as the robot's body.

The model that the researchers displayed showed incredible ability to stretch and bend in different directions. A downside however is that, according to a researcher, "elastomer structures are highly resilient but difficult to control...and because these soft robots are easy to produce but difficult to model, our...design tools are not available online for roboticists and students."

With this new progression in the robotics side of science, I look forward to what the results will yield and what will come next. The potential applications for the soft robots seem to be numerous, especially since the material should be able to withstand squeezing and crushing, allowing for endless possibilities regarding what they may be used for.

By: Arianna Good