Soft robots offer many advantages over traditional robots, but they still face many challenges. A new study presents a seal-shaped robot that mimics the terrestrial movement of pinnipeds.
Why do we need soft robots?
Soft robots have many advantages over rigid robots, such as the ability to maneuver in tight spaces, handle delicate objects, and tolerate falls, making them safer to work around humans. In addition, they are more adaptable to changing environments, making them an attractive choice for applications such as planetary exploration, surveillance, and disaster rescue.
However, current technology has many drawbacks, such as restricted payload, low limb dexterity, minimal gait paths, and limited degrees of freedom.
A new approach in soft robotics
A group of researchers from DePaul University in Chicago were inspired by the movements of pinnipeds to build a seal-shaped robot. Pinnipeds are a group of marine mammals, such as sea lions and seals, that use their flippers to move.
The researchers built a robot with two front limbs and one hind limb for land movement, just like walruses, sea lions, or seals.
Each of the robot’s limbs measures 24.1 cm long and 3.8 cm wide, and is powered by pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs). PMAs are soft, flexible devices that use pressurized air to generate movement and are inspired by the structure and function of biological muscles. The robot’s limbs can be filled with fluid to make them rigid, and then drained to make them more flexible. This is the way the robot moves and changes direction. The entire structure is covered by a strong shell and spine to protect it.
robot skills
The soft, seal-like robot is capable of a wide range of motion, including moving forward and backward, panning left and right, and turning on the spot. In addition, it can jump over uneven terrain and obstacles, something conventional robots based on four-legged creatures cannot do.
The research team plans to work on more dynamic movements in the future to further enhance the robot’s abilities. The pinniped models turned out to be a great inspiration for the construction of the robot, but what is interesting about this project is how the team approached the challenges of soft robots. By using a modular approach, they were able to create a robot with better degrees of freedom, gait diversity, limb dexterity, and payload capabilities.
This smooth, seal-like robot can have many potential applications, such as exploration in marine environments and surveillance in hard-to-reach terrain. It can also be useful for search and rescue operations, where smooth robots can navigate narrow and dangerous spaces to search for survivors.
But what is most interesting is how this modular approach and the technologies used can be applied to other types of soft robots. The researchers hope that their design will serve as a starting point for future developments in soft robotics.
An excellent example of how inspiration from nature can lead to advances in technology that also demonstrates the importance of addressing the specific challenges of soft robotics and finding innovative solutions to overcome them.
You have the study at arxiv.org
