Forever-puppy isn\u2019t here yet, but we\u2019re getting closer as research drives the development of bio-inspired robots. From four-legged pets to circuit skin, we can thank engineering for keeping the dream alive. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Bio-inspired robots seem to fall into a couple of loosely defined categories, which include those designed to mimic animals and nature and those designed to imitate the human form in some way. Both have far-reaching uses in medicine, wearable devices, and good, old-fashioned fun. And they\u2019re all remarkably lifelike. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Animal-inspired robots are not only cool, but they\u2019re good for a variety of applications, both novelty and necessary. A team of Harvard researchers developed an integrated fabrication process that enables soft robot design on a very small scale with micrometer-scale features\u2014and it looks like a spider. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Inspired by the Australian peacock spider, the robot is made from a single elastic material. Production of the silicone robot utilizes a hybrid technology that merges different fabrication techniques and allows for the robot to have 18 degrees of freedom. Scientists hope that it will allow them to better understand structure-function relationships in small organisms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Each layer is cut from a mold using laser micromachining and bonded to the one below it, which creates the 3D structure of the spider. The robot utilizes a network of hollow microfluidic channels integrated into the layers and a technique called injection-induced self-folding, which allows for control of origami-like folding. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to being cool, the spider robot has the potential to help with medical applications that require small size and extreme flexibility. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Happiness Is a Warm Puppy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Image courtesy of Boston Dynamics.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tech giant Boston Dynamics has done a lot for the field of robotics, bringing us a variety of human and animal machines capable of all sorts of things. In November of 2017, they introduced a new version of Spot Mini, a four-legged robot with a robotic arm and a sensor complete with stereo cameras, an inertial measurement unit, depth cameras, and limb position and force sensors. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The robot is quiet and designed to be used in homes and offices. It is cute in its own way, and it moves distinctly like an actual dog. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder developed malleable, self-healing, recyclable electronic skin, perfect for prosthetics and robotics. While this sort of work has been happening in labs around the world, this one made news thanks to the inclusion of sensors to measure temperature, humidity, and airflow. The skin also uses polymine laced with silver nanoparticles, which gives it considerable strength, chemical stability, and continued conductivity. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At room temperature, it can curve to fit things like, say, human arms. To recycle, one needs only to soak it in a special solution designed to degrade polymers, which can then be used to make new skin. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thick-Skinned<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Image courtesy of Carnegie Mellon.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n But wait, there\u2019s more! Carnegie Mellon recently unveiled a self-healing material they created that repairs itself under serious mechanical damage. Composed of liquid metal droplets suspended in elastomer, the droplets rupture when damaged in order to form new connections with droplets around them, rerouting electrical signals without skipping a beat. If the material is severed or punctured, and even if some of it is removed, the material does not cease to work. It also stretches without interruption. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Robots can do a lot of cool things, but this is new ground for bio-inspired machines and wearable devices. Carmel Majidi, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Integrated Soft Materials Laboratory, says that other research produced material that was similar in elasticity\u2014but still vulnerable to damage that would cause failure. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhere Organism Meets Robot<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n
The Itsy-Bitsy Spider<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n
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