Researchers Learn to Print Insect Robots in Two Hours

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have come up with a way to 3D print flexible robots that look like

on insects - this is a quick and cheap way, forwhich does not require additional equipment. Their method involves printing "photoskeletons" - materials using flexible and thin polycarbonate sheets.

Like insects, the design of this robotimplies rigidity only in some areas. This distinguishes them from soft robots, which are mainly made from materials similar to living tissues.

Printing each flexo skeleton component takesabout 10 minutes, and the complete assembly of the robot takes two hours. A single part costs less than $ 1 - computing power, sensors and a battery are the most expensive parts to build.

This method will allow researchers to quickly and easily.create robots, but the ultimate goal is the mass production of robots without human intervention. This can lead to small devices that can perform tasks autonomously.