University of Glasgow scientists developed a robot with built-in strain sensors to measure its body position before moving forward. (Image Credit: University of Glasgow)
University of Glasgow engineers recently developed robots that move similarly to inchworms and earthworms, providing them with the ability to feel their surroundings. The team believes these ultra elasticity worm-like robots could have applications in construction, mining, or search-and-rescue operations for disaster victims trapped in the rubble. Plus, the technology can also be outfitted on robots, making it easier for them to lift irregularly shaped heavy objects.
These robots stretch up to nine times their length. At the same time, they have proprioception capabilities, allowing them to perceive their position in space, a first for soft robotics. With this ability, robots can fit in narrow spaces that more rigid robots otherwise wouldn’t reach. The team’s latest development could eventually lead to the next generation of soft robotics that autonomously explores hard-to-reach areas.
This project builds on previous studies from the University of Glasgow’s Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) group, which discovered unique techniques to integrate flexible electronics into deformable surfaces. Using that expertise, the team developed and implanted strain sensors into the worm-like robots, which measure 4.5 centimeters long and are comprised of Exoflex and a graphite paste produced by the team.
Both ends of the robots’ tubular bodies are outfitted with small permanent magnets, helping them maneuver along a metal surface. The sensors provide movement sensing capabilities, achieved through the graphite paste’s electrical resistance measurements that adjust while the robots’ bodies expand. The body contracts again when the resistance reaches a maximum value, causing it to move ahead.
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