Soft robots may be the future of robotics, but right now they have a number of flaws in their overall design. For example, the capabilities of such machines are limited by the need for wired control. In other words, they need to be connected to external devices, pipes and hoses through which compressed air is supplied and controlled. This can limit their functionality, for example, when used in space missions, search and rescue operations and other areas.
Soft robotics
A group of experts from Harvard University spoke about the first step in the development of a new generation of soft robots. They developed a method to eliminate the need for multiple wires and hoses and replace it all with a single, single compressed air inlet. This not only greatly simplifies the design of the machine, but also makes it much lighter. Breeds about their development are published in Soft Robotics magazine.
To simplify the design of a soft robot, they used the specificity of the phenomenon of fluid viscosity, which is a measure of fluidity. Imagine water that needs to pass through a hollow straw. The thinner this straw is, the more difficult it is for water to pass through it. Harvard robotics, led by Katya Bertholdi, used the same principle, but with air. To do this, they used tubes of various lengths and diameters. A single inlet supplies air to the legs of the robot through tubes, which allows the further actions of the machine to be regulated. Each team has a unique "air velocity and volume" with its own set of tubing, so now there is no need to perform very complex calculations of the required air pressure.
The developers said that the test bot looks like a simple cruciform four-legged object. Harvard robotics continue to improve it, since an external source of air for the device has not yet been created. According to experts, this is a unique technological discovery. The simplicity and small size of the parts can make the robot practical for all kinds of tasks.
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Nikolay Khizhnyak