Collaborate Disseminate
Although soft robotic graspers may be squishy on the outside, they usually still have hard, unyielding electronic components on the inside. A new and potentially more versatile bio-inspired grasping system, however, is 100 percent soft.Continue Reading… Continue reading Soft robotic grasper channels the spirit of the Venus flytrap
Soft-bodied robots move via pneumatic “muscles” that are selectively inflated or deflated. And while the muscles themselves may be soft and squishy, they’re usually hooked up to hard, unwieldy pumps. A new pump, however, is both small and flexible.Cont… Continue reading Thin, flexible pump could make soft robots even softer
Soft robots are gaining a lot of attention in research circles, largely due to the safety benefits for humans who might need to work in their vicinity. Soft robots are gaining a lot of attention in research circles, and from an engineering lab at the U… Continue reading Air-powered robot needs no electronics to walk like a turtle
There are currently a number of groups developing touch-sensitive electronic skin for robots. Scientists at Cornell University are pursuing a simpler approach, however, using shadow-imaging cameras to let robots know when they’re being touched.Continue… Continue reading ShadowSense tech tracks shadows to give robots a sense of touch
Inspired by the way plants like Venus flytraps can snap closed and reset themselves, scientists have developed new materials that alter their shape in the blink of the eye as a way of propelling themselves forward, powered only by their own energy and … Continue reading US Army-funded research results in self-propelled materials
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new soft robot that can walk at roughly the speed of a human, activated by light and magnetic fields. The robot can squeeze into tight spaces and pick up, carry and release objects on demand.Conti… Continue reading Soft aquatic robot activated by light and magnets to quickly crawl
Chameleon tongues, gecko feet and octopus tentacles are just a few of the animal body parts we’ve seen inspire soft robotic grippers, but nature still has plenty to offer researchers in this field. A team in Australia is the latest to tap into the worl… Continue reading Coiling robotic gripper grasps objects like an elephant’s trunk
We have to hand it to this team, their entry for the 2020 Hackaday Prize is a classic pincer maneuver. A team from [The University of Auckland] in New Zealand and [New Dexterity] is designing a couple of gloves for both rehabilitation and human augmentation. One style is a human-powered …read more
Materials that can heal themselves after becoming damaged have opened up some interesting new possibilities over the past decade or so, pointing to a future of scratch-resistant car paints and space ships that can plug their own holes. A newly develope… Continue reading Squid-inspired robotic muscles heal themselves in a second
Generally speaking, robotic “hands” vary between rigid devices with a firm grasp, and softer, gentler gadgets that are a bit wimpier. Now, however, scientists have created an appendage that they claim combines the best features of both.Continue Reading… Continue reading Hybrid robot hand combines strength with a soft touch