Look at a flexible palm-sized robot - it can overcome obstacles above its height

One of the main problems with small robots is that they often get stuck when obstacles appear.

on a way. The fact is that due to their height they are not able to step over thresholds.

In the new work, the researchers overcame this limitation - they created a flexible, palm-sized miniature robot that, thanks to its soft legs, is able to overcome small obstacles.

The limbs of the robot are made of polydimethylsiloxane and equipped with DC motors that provide their movement.

“Most soft robots are built withusing pneumatic drives. These actuators work very well and integrate with soft materials, but they require a source of compressed air, which often makes the robots bulky and sometimes prevents them from clearing obstacles in their path. We wanted to create a robot that combines soft materials and conventional drives, such as DC motors, which easily enable miniaturization and unhindered movement."

Onur Ozkan, lead author of the study

Tests have shown that the robot can overcome obstacles with a height of 144% of its own growth.

Previously, scientists created microscopic sensors -on one coin fits up to 300 thousand devices. They use light for power and communication, and soon on their basis it will be possible to create a new generation of microsensors with high computing power and low power consumption.