Bioengineering Banter #1
Squishy robot? Yes, please!
Dubbed "octobot" by Harvard scientists Robert Wood, Ph.D., and Jennifer Lewis, Sc.D who invented it, this squishy autonomous robot is completely composed of soft materials. While previous efforts have made robots with soft external features, this is the first robot to have its control system and power source untethered by cables and composed of a chemical fuel (aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide!)-mediated fluidic circuit housed within silicone-based structures. Just think of the range of movement capable in robots that will use this technology in the future!
Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wn66O-KLow
Sources:
Wehner, M. et al. Nature 536, 451–455 (2016).
Mazola B and Mattel V. Nature 536, 400-401 (2016).
Harvard: http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/274
