New robot acts as a ‘worm’ when the temperature changes

A new crawling gelatinous robot, powered by nothing but temperature changes and intelligent design, brings “a kind of intelligence” to the field of soft robotics.

Inchworm-inspired work is detailed today in robotics science.

“It seems very simple, but this is an object that moves without batteries, without wires, without external power of any kind — just on the expansion and contraction of the gel,” the authors wrote. lead author David Gracias, professor of chemistry and research. molecular biology engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

“Our study shows how manipulating the shape, size and style of gels can modulate morphology to exhibit a kind of intelligence for locomotion.”

Robots are made almost exclusively hard material like metals and plastics, a fundamental obstacle in the quest to create the ideal robot for human biomedical advances.

The water-based gel, which feels like a marshmallow, is one of the most promising materials in the field of soft robotics. Researchers have previously demonstrated that gels that swell or contract in response to temperature can be used to create smart structures.

Here, the Johns Hopkins team demonstrated for the first time how to strategically control gel expansion and contraction to move the robot forward and backward along the way. flat surfacesor basically have them crawl in certain directions with a wave-like undulating motion.

The gelbots, created by 3D printing for this job, would be easy to mass produce. Gracias foresees a wide range of practical applications in the future, including moving over surfaces through human body to deliver targeted drugs. They can also be marine robots, patrolling and monitoring the ocean’s surface.

Gracias hopes to train bovine gelbots to respond to variations in human biomarkers and biochemistry. He also plans to experiment with shapes and forms inspired by worms and other marine life, and wants to incorporate cameras and sensors on their bodies.