New Atlas

Robotics Audio available

MIT's new robotic gripper works like a Venus fly trap

Nick Lavars March 14, 2019

From green blobs to boa constrictors, scientists have taken inspiration from some interesting sources in pursuit of robotic arms that can delicately lift heavy items. The latest solution from MIT resembles a venus flytrap in the way its snatches up objects many times its own weight.

The Magic Ball gripper consists of a skeleton made from cone-shaped origami structure that is connected ...

Science Audio available

LED-packin' caterpillars may lead to better-moving squishy robots

Ben Coxworth January 7, 2019

Caterpillars are able to crawl across a wide variety of surfaces, they can move in any orientation, and they're flexible – traits that would also make for good soft-bodied robots. With that in mind, scientists have recently taken an interesting approach to analyzing just how the creatures move.

A tobacco hornworm caterpillar (lower right) in the circular treadmill used in the study

Robotics

Peacock spider inspires small, soft, fluid-powered robots

Michael Irving August 7, 2018

If robots are ever going to work alongside humans in the real world, they're going to need a softer touch. Harvard researchers have developed a new method for producing small-scale squishy robots, and demonstrated it by creating a flexible robotic peacock spider, driven by a microfluidics system.

A Harvard team has developed a new method to make tiny, soft robot spiders, powered by ...

Robotics

Popcorn used to power cheap soft robots

Ben Coxworth August 3, 2018

Back in 2010, researchers from Cornell University helped develop a robotic gripper that was stuffed with coffee grounds. Now, a Cornell team has done the next logical thing, and built soft-bodied robotic devices that are filled with and activated by popcorn.

Robotics

Soft gripper handles sea creatures with kid gloves

Ben Coxworth August 2, 2018

If you're trying to catch delicate creatures such as sea slugs via remote control, you're certainly not going to use steel pincers designed for use in the oil and mining industries. It was with this in mind that a Harvard team recently developed an underwater robotic gripper that has a soft touch.

A three-finger version of the soft gripper

3D Printing

Morphing 3D-printed objects move by magnetism

Ben Coxworth June 14, 2018

Some day, it may be possible for tiny squishy robots to make their way through people's bodies, without being tethered to an external power supply or control unit. We've recently gotten a step closer to that being a reality, thanks to 3D-printing tech that produces magnetically-responsive devices.

This 3D-printed magnetic device is capable of crawling, rolling, snatching a passing ball, and even enveloping ...

Materials

3D-printed hydrogel humanoid goes for an underwater walk

Michael Irving May 20, 2018

Hydrogels could make for robots that are more flexible, safer to be around and simpler to build and use. Now researchers at Rutgers University have developed a smart gel that can be 3D printed into a variety of shapes, and electrically-activated to make it “walk” underwater, grab and move objects.

Rutger University researchers have created a humanoid figure out of a smart gel that can walk ...

Robotics

Soft robotic fingers use gecko-inspired coating for some heavy lifting

Nick Lavars April 10, 2018

One particularly active area of robotics research involves the exploration of soft parts, which are opening up new possibilities and making machines safer for humans to work around. Now they are gaining a helping hand from the amazing adhesive properties of the gecko.

Scientists have created a robotic gripper that uses a gecko-inspired adhesive coating and can lift heavy ...

Robotics

Soft robotic fish blends right in with the real ones

Nick Lavars March 21, 2018

Robots disguised as animals have come to provide us with unprecedented insights into the natural world. Now scientists have developed a robotic fish that can swim just like a real one, allowing them to get up close and personal as a way of studying marine life.

The soft exterior and quiet nature make the SoFi robot ideal for closely observing marine life ...

Robotics

Cheap artificial muscles give soft robots lifting power

Paul Ridden November 28, 2017

Researchers from Harvard and MIT say that robots made of soft materials are often not as strong as their rigid counterparts. This thinking has led to the development of inexpensive artificial muscles that have been designed to give soft robots superpowers.

The vacuum-powered soft robots are reported capable of lifting objects a thousand times their own weight