Collaborate Disseminate
Bioinspired underwater robots that swim by undulating their bodies may be more energy-efficient than their rigid counterparts, but they’re also quite difficult to build. That could soon change however, thanks to a new modular robotics system.Continue R… Continue reading Modular voxel tech could bring swimming robots into the mainstream
People suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) often have difficulty raising their arms, due to deterioration of cells in their brain and spinal cord. A new wearable system is designed to help, utilizing a pair of under-arm balloons.Continue… Continue reading Soft-robotic wearable helps people with ALS to raise their arms
Back in 2012, we heard about tiny biped “biobot” robots that used actual muscle tissue to walk. Well, the descendants of those bots are now equipped with LEDs, which allow them to be remotely steered in a practical fashion.Continue ReadingCategory: Rob… Continue reading Tiny eBiobots use LEDs and muscle tissue for real-time remote control
In a serendipitous discovery, engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) have developed a material that first deforms and then shoots into the air when it is heated. The researchers say the material could one day be used to help soft … Continue reading New rubbery film rockets into the air like a grasshopper
It’s a sad fact that people with conditions such as muscular dystrophy and ALS often have difficulty breathing, as their diaphragm muscle doesn’t work properly. MIT scientists have set out to give that muscle a boost, with an implantable ventilator.Con… Continue reading MIT implantable ventilator could literally let patients breathe easier
In order for a soft-bodied robot to be practical, it has to be simple, light and energy-efficient, yet still reasonably quick. A newly developed mechanism fits the bill, and it’s inspired by the humble hair clip.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, Tech… Continue reading Quick soft-bodied robots move at the speed of a hair clip
Plastic ketchup bottles have a valve in the lid that opens to let ketchup out, and that sometimes “sputters” if the bottle is squeezed too hard. Dutch scientists have copied that mechanism to create an actuator that could be used in autonomous soft rob… Continue reading Ketchup bottles inspire new method of moving soft-bodied robots
Scientists regularly draw ideas from the natural world in a bid to improve robotic performance, and when it comes to soft robots that swim, motion in the ocean is a rich source of inspiration. The latest creation to emerge in this space is a soft robot… Continue reading Swimming robot performs butterfly to move with unmatched speed
If you were trying to gauge the reaction force of an insect’s leg, you couldn’t just push it with your finger – the size difference between the two would be too great to do so with enough sensitivity. A set of hand-controlled soft robotic microfingers,… Continue reading Robotic microfingers allow scientists to get a feel for tiny objects
The flexible “fingers” at the tip of an elephant’s trunk have provided the inspiration for a versatile robotic gripper capable of picking up and holding onto a variety of objects both large and small – from an acupuncture needle to a thin metal ruler t… Continue reading Trunk-inspired robot gripper can pinch and grab objects small and large