According to a May 8 report by EFE, robots are becoming more and more complex from a technical point of view in order to present realistic movements. But sometimes all it takes is a few tubes, plus air and a few laws of physics, to allow the robot to move autonomously in a coordinated manner.
The Netherlands Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics has created a small soft robot. It is called a "soft robot" because of the type of material it uses, but also refers to how it behaves and moves. Its design is inspired by the natural world and some animals. For example, a large cylindrical doll made of cloth dances when inflated.
Most robots rely heavily on the central processing unit to coordinate their movements. Animals, on the other hand, coordinate movements by integrating the nervous system, body mechanics, and interaction with their surroundings. Coordination decentralization allows them to avoid relying on the constant command of the brain.
Based on both of these conditions, the team has created one of the fastest and simplest soft-moving robots to date. Equipped with computers, software, and sensors, the robot relies on its own body and interaction with the environment to move in a coordinated manner.
The findings were published in the British journal Nature. The robot's legs are constructed of curved silicone tubes. In the absence of airflow, the silicone tubing maintains a stable bending attitude.
When a steady airflow is introduced, each leg sways and lifts independently independently. But when several legs come together, their movements are quickly synchronized, taking on a rhythmic gait.
Alberto Commoreto, the first author of the study, noted that "order arises from chaos. Now there is no need for code, and no instructions are required. When the legs sync spontaneously, the robot takes off".
The principle is the same as that of a firefly emitting a light synchronously or a heart cell beating synchronously: complex collective movements arise from simple interactions.
The robot's movement stems from a feedback loop between pressure, crease formation, and pipe resistance, similar to a mechanical heartbeat, physically connecting multiple limbs together.
In addition, this is a robot that moves extremely fast. With the introduction of air currents, its speed can reach 30 body lengths per second.
The synchronization between the robot's legs can adapt to changes in the environment on its own. As the robot moves from land to water, its gait automatically changes from jump mode to freestyle mode.
The researchers noted that the robot's movement stems from the close relationship between the body and the environment, so the gait transition does not require a central processing unit or control logic.
One of the study's authors, Manas Saumark, explains that similar decentralized intelligence is often found in biology, such as starfish. Starfish are able to coordinate the movements of hundreds of tubular feet using local feedback and body dynamics rather than a "central brain".
From smart tablets to space technology, the future applications of this soft robot are wide-ranging. The Netherlands Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics said in a statement that safe microrobots that are not equipped with microelectronics can be swallowed and release drugs after autonomously reaching the target tissue.
It could also pave the way for the development of autonomous machinery adapted to extreme environments such as space, where traditional electronic devices can malfunction.