The Making of the World’s First Fully-Octobot Soft Robot
Robotic engineering is taking another dimension, especially in the making of the robots’ bodies. The intention behind the robots being developed currently is to make the engineers consider a proper body for it.
The initial Sofi-robot made has the intention of mimicking the real fishes in the sea with its artificial soft bodies made to swim just like a real fish. However, despite the special design of the robots, some of their main parts were found to be plastics with needed electric motors installed inside them.
Before now, it seemed as though having a completely soft robot without any trace of metallic or plastic parts is impossible. Not until researchers started dropping a series of soft robots under development.
The intentions behind the making of soft robots may be for experimentation and educational purposes, but experts believe such a move could help in developing another section of robotic engineering, especially in the area of aquatic life monitoring and general seabed research and documentation.
The water resistance property of soft robots could make them ideal for water research and their ability to remain in shape after any external force impacts make the idea of the soft robot for the making of future Nanorobots that can be used for silent monitoring in specific areas.
MIT Technology Review has revealed the newly made soft robot believed to be the world’s first completely soft robot. The robot featured in the report has its body completely made with a flexible rubber or synthetic material as shown in the image below.
The robot has been named octobot because of its shape and mode of operation. It is the first robot revealed so far that makes use of a fully transparent processed rubber or plastic body.
The look of these robots reflects the intention of the developers since it clearly mimics one of the popular aquatic life found in the sea.
HOW OCTOBOT SOFT ROBOT WAS MADE
According to a report regarding how it was made, the soft robot has its body molded on a tray spread with the rubber or plastic material and has a custom mold and microfluidic chip at its center.
First, the mold is filled with silicone, the next step all the air bubbles are sucked out, and the next step is to use a 3S printer to map out the shapes and designs required.
The 3D printer adds two types of ink to the body, one of the ink will evaporate later and leave behind hollow vessels. The other, platinum will help turn liquid fuel into gas to make the bot move.
After the above stages, the Octobot will be baked for four days to seal everything. On completion, the Octobot will be forced to move by pumping half-strength rocket fuel into reservoirs in the body.
When the fuel meets the platinum ink it turns into a gas. Then the microfluidic chip directs the gas down alternating tentacles, making Octobot basically a cute, wiggling pneumatic system.
Summary
Having started moving, the next step will be to give it sensing and programming abilities too.
