These innovative robots, designed by a ... three-dimensional printed pneumatic balloons. This combination significantly reduces the weight of soft actuators, enabling untethered operations.

the new actuator can be shaped and reshaped a thousand ways. We've overcome one of the final barriers to making lifelike robots." Inspired by living organisms, soft material robotics hold great ...

While there are robots out there with soft actuators that offer some give when ... This is a membrane that looks like a latex balloon, with flexible electrodes attached to either side.

That means the researchers can reuse balloons, modifying them to move in different ways on the fly. Soft robots, though, still come with serious limitations. For one, these kinds of actuators have ...

Roboticists have been motivated by a long-standing goal to make robots safer. The new actuator could be used to develop inexpensive, soft, flexible robots which are safer and more practical for ...

They're called poppers, and they've inspired an actuator that could one day allow soft-bodied robots to jump across rough terrain. Being developed at Harvard University, the actuator consists of ...

Using multiple tubular actuators, we build a multifunctional soft gripper and an untethered soft robot.

3D-printed mini-actuators can move small soft robots, lock them into new shapes Date: June 11, 2024 Source: North Carolina State University Summary: Researchers have demonstrated miniature soft ...

electrically driven soft robots. Our team at the University of Coimbra have developed a phase transition soft actuator designed to power electric soft robots that require high force and precision.