A group of engineers from Harvard University of the United States has been working in recent months on the development of a new artificial muscle capable, as announced, revolve the world of Robotics soft thanks to its unique features. By way of clarification, noting that soft Robotics is a concept which encompasses the robots made with new materials and morphology, especially designed to provide a safe and efficient physical interaction in unstructured and dynamic environments.
Developments, as you can see in the image that you have left at the very beginning of this same post, which uses a system made up of clips soft although we could also include in this world other developments like androids with entirely soft bodies, laparoscopic surgical tools can be found within the soft robotic…
An elastomer dielectric could be key in the development of the robotic soft
Now well, inside the world of the robotic soft or soft, we find with a series of disadvantages. Among the most serious, for example mention as their actuators, a kind of muscles that are truly responsible for the movement joint of the robot have to be based on hydraulic or pneumatic systems which, in turn, are often slow response to require lots of energy to operate.
Returning to the work made by the Group of engineers of the University of Harvard, highlight how in your search have got develop a new series of actuators, specifically a elastomer dialectical or plastic flexible, able of offer a broad range of movement that would be key since not need of components rigid to operate. This actuator would have been developed from the superposition of many layers of this elastomer and carbon nanotube electrodes.
According to Robert Wood, co-author of the study commented:
The performance is one of those challenges more difficult of the robotics. The vast majority of current bots are based on conventional electromagnetic Rotary motors. In cases where we cannot use this type of engines, e.g. in soft robots, there are few alternatives for high performance movement.
