Cornell’s new soft robot walking across snow
If you've ever wondered what the military robots of the future will look like, Cornell researchers have a game changer in store for you: a robot that can withstand water, heat, pressure and extreme temperatures and in the form of a blob-- a pink one, at that.
The new robot looks a lot like a squishy starfish. Mostly made of silicone, the robot was built tough. While it doesn't exactly fit our idea of robotic innovation, it is indeed one of the most resilient robots around, as it can crawl across puddles, over fire (for up to 50 seconds), withstand temperature of -20 degrees Celsius and even survive being run over by a car. Boys, we've got ourselves a war machine.
The floppy robot was designed to function in rugged terrains. Unlike most soft robots, this one can function with or without a tether for up to two hours (thanks to its trusty, dusty battery pack). Users can also strap a video camera to the top of the robot. If it survives the battle fields, it will bring some wicked footage back to the home base.
This soft bot has super strength for its size, as it can carry up to 18 pounds on its back. Sitting at about a foot and a half wide, this bot is inexpensive, too; it costs just over $1,100 to make one of these creepy critters.
While its durability is impressive, it's speed is not. This nearly indestructible robot is unfortunately painfully slow.. Also, while its silicon shell is great for bypassing potentially dangerous substances, its sensitive parts are exposed and easy for enemies to squash. All things considered, this bot still might make the cut for the next robotic soldiers.
Soft robots may not look like the rave of the future, but their resilience, durability and cost efficacy may mean the next army of bots will be, well, squishy.
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