Engineers Develop Process Helpful to Enable Soft Robots To Grow like Plants

Researchers developed a process that can help make better-built soft robots. The process is a plant-inspired extrusion enabling synthetic material growth.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities team discovered the new process that helps soft robots reach and navigate complicated terrain, difficult-to-reach places, and the human body's areas.

The research findings were published in PNAS or the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and are available to read in ScienceDaily.

In addition, the National Science Foundation funded the study.

Soft robotics

According to researchers, soft robotics is considered a new and emerging field. Unlike rigid and gigantic robots, soft robotics is said to be made of soft materials.

Soft robots can navigate complicated areas.
Soft robots are capable of creating new material while moving.
Soft robots are significantly helpful for activities, projects, research, or operations in remote places humans can't navigate.
Soft robots are capable of dangerous tasks.

The study's lead author Chris Ellison explained that developing new ways of creating and manufacturing are essential to bringing new products.

Ellison is also a professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

Moreover, the scientists and engineers addressed the problem with a new means of extrusion. It is a process in which the material is pushed through to make a specific shape.

The researchers noted that the new process helps robots to create synthetic materials.

The research can also help in manufacturing.

Plant-inspired

Amazingly, the researchers incorporated the plant process using synthetic materials.

In studying plants, it uses water to transport the important building blocks, which transform into roots as the plant grows.

Here is the video from the study sharing the idea.

In the study, the researchers called it photopolymerization. It is defined as the light that is important to transform liquid monomers into solid materials.

With the said process, soft robots can navigate winding paths or obstacles.

The study's first author Matthew Hausladen explained that the research was inspired by how plants and fungi grow. As fascinated with the idea, the researchers managed to translate the process into the engineering system of making robots.

Hausladen is also a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

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Furthermore, the study also said that the important part of the research project is that material scientists, robotic engineers, and chemical engineers are present to help with the analysis.

Unique Study

The researchers added the project became unique because of the collaboration among different branches of expertise.

It said that the collaboration addresses fundamental problems in other studies.

Based on the study, the researchers behind the team are:

Boran Zhao (postdoctoral researcher), University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science researchers
Lorraine Francis (Distinguished Professor), College of Science and Engineering
Tim Kowalewski (associate professor), University of Minnesota Department of Mechanical Engineering
Matthew Kubala (graduate student), University of Minnesota Department of Mechanical Engineering

With the discovery, it can help many sectors to navigate areas difficult to reach by humans.

The researchers provided a video showing a soft-growing robot navigating a difficult path.