Soft Robotics

A thin new robot developed at the University of Leeds designed to diagnose and treat cancer takes the shape of a tentacle, which can be magnetically guided into the depths of the lungs to inspect suspicious lesions or deliver drugs.

Researchers at Harvard and Emory have created a biohybrid fish out of human heart cells that swims autonomously for months at a time as the cells beat. The project is a sidestep on the way to eventually growing new functional hearts for transplant.

Most robots are designed for a specific job, and aren’t very adaptable. But a new soft robot can morph into a range of shapes for driving, flying or swimming, thanks to a rubber skin full of a metal that switches between liquid and solid forms.

Most robotic grippers work by applying pressure to an object from either side – it's an approach which could damage delicate items. A new gripper gets around that problem, however, thanks to an ancient Japanese art form.

In order for it to be truly soft, a soft-bodied robot can't contain any hard, rigid components. That's why we've already seen soft batteries, circuits and actuators. Now, a squishy, stretchable thermometer has joined that list.

It's possible that someday in the future, sunlight-powered robots may be able to swim across marine oil spills, soaking up the oil as they go. A tiny prototype has already been created, and it was inspired by both the steam engine and an insect.

Scientists have developed a new type of hydrogel described as "super jelly," with a unique internal structure likened to molecular handcuffs enabling the soft material to be run over by a car without being crushed.

Although soft-bodied robots show great promise for tasks like squeezing through tight spaces, it's a bit counterproductive if their soft appendages are moved by hard actuators. A new technology addresses that problem, via the use of "fancy balloons."

A new battery design out of Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials promises to open up some interesting possibilities in energy storage, by mimicking the behavior of snake scales to be bent and stretched out of shape.

Scientists pushing the frontiers of soft robotics continue to find inspiration in the animal kingdom, with the latest examples that move move like inchworms and earthworms deploying some novel sensor technology to give them proprioception.

When leaping geckos crash head-first into vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, they're able to hang onto that surface instead of bouncing off and falling to the ground. Scientists have discovered what allows them to do so, and copied the capability in a small robot.

Robotic hands do show a lot of promise for various applications, but their mechanical complexity still limits their possible uses. A new air-powered hand is much simpler, but still dextrous enough to be utilized to play a video game.