Engineers have created a soft robot arm that moves with light, mimicking the elegant motion of an octopus.
Soon, a flexible octopus-like robot could be completely free of wires or internal electronics.Engineers at Rice University have unveiled a new soft robotic arm controlled by laser beams. Interestingly, this soft robotic arm can handle surprisingly complex tasks, from navigating around obstacles to hitting a ball precisely.
“This was the first demonstration of real-time, reconfigurable, automated control over a light-responsive material for a soft robotic arm,” said Elizabeth Blackert, a Rice doctoral alumna and first author.The team says this development could benefit various fields, from implantable surgical devices to industrial machines.The magic behind this arm’s movement lies in a light-responsive material called azobenzene liquid crystal elastomer. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice UniversityLight-responsive materialThere has been a major advancement in developing soft robotic arms in the past few years. For example, China recently unveiled an octopus-inspired robotic arm capable of supporting loads up to 260 times its weight.However, the current standard robots rely on fixed joints, which limit the range of motion.“A major challenge in using soft materials for robots is they are either tethered or have very simple, predetermined functionality,” said Hanyu Zhu, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering. “Building remotely and arbitrarily programmable soft robots requires a unique blend of expertise involving materials development, optical system design, and machine learning capabilities,” added Zhu.The magic behind this arm’s movement lies in a light-responsive material called azobenzene liquid crystal elastomer.This unique polymer reacts to light by shrinking under blue laser light and then quickly relaxing and regrowing in the dark. A swift response is key for real-time control.“When we shine a laser on one side of the material, the shrinking causes the material to bend in that direction. Our material bends toward laser light like a flower stem does toward sunlight,” added Blackert.Use of machine learningThe researchers explained the science behind the movement.A spatial light modulator, a specialized device, divides a single laser beam into numerous “beamlets.” Each beamlet offers versatile control: it can be aimed at different parts of the arm, its intensity can be fine-tuned, and it can be toggled on or off.The team says the arm can flex or contract at any desired location, similar to the fluid movements of an octopus’s tentacles.But how does a robot controlled by light perform complex tasks like navigating an obstacle or hitting a ball? That’s where machine learning comes in.The team developed a convolutional neural network, a type of artificial intelligence used in image recognition. It was trained by showing various light patterns and the resulting arm movements. The current prototype is flat and moves in two dimensions. The researchers envision three-dimensional versions, potentially equipped with additional sensors and cameras.“This is a step towards having safer, more capable robotics for various applications ranging from implantable biomedical devices to industrial robots that handle soft goods,” Blackert said.Theoretically, this technique could produce a robot with virtually limitless degrees of freedom, greatly exceeding what traditional robots with rigid joints can achieve.The findings were published in Advanced Intelligent Systems.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Engineers Reveal Robot That Takes Care of Old People So You Don’t Have toScience and Technology News and Videos
Read more »
US engineers reveal world’s first hydrogen system to fuel and cool future jetsA new hydrogen system could solve storage, cooling, and delivery in one blow, moving zero-emission aviation closer to takeoff.
Read more »
Salesforce says AI has reduced hiring of engineers and customer service workers(Bloomberg) — Salesforce Inc. said the use of artificial intelligence tools internally has allowed it to hire fewer workers, another example of a company changing its hiring plans due to the …
Read more »
Alaska ferry engineers say they are critically short-staffed, with no easy answersMany communities along Alaska’s southern coast are dependent on state ferries to get around and to fuel their economies. But those ferries move thanks to teams of on-board engineers, who say they are critically understaffed.
Read more »
US engineers create self-healing robot skin that detects, seals, and resetsInspired by biology, this soft robot muscle uses a three-layer system to recover from punctures and crushing forces, mimicking human skin.
Read more »
Engineers develop self-healing muscle for robotsStudents recently unveiled their invention of a robotic actuator -- the 'muscle' that converts energy into a robot's physical movement -- that has the ability to detect punctures or pressure, heal the injury and repair its damage-detecting 'skin.'
Read more »