Scientists Have Developed A Semi-soft Flexible Skeleton Robot Inspired By Insects

Soft robots have a lot to recommend them, such as being able to squeeze through gaps or "survive" being stepped on. Until now, they have usually been assembled by hand in one go. That may change, however, thanks to a new manufacturing method.

The technology, developed by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, is inspired by the "exoskeleton" of insects. While we might think of these "exoskeletons" as like a suit of armor, they are in fact rigid in some places (for structural support) and flexible in others (for elasticity and mobility).

The UCSD system also produces what is known as a "flexible skeleton," which combines rigidity with flexibility. This is done by 3D printing polymer layers onto thin, flexible polycarbonate plates. By adjusting the printing process, it is possible to make the polymer flexible where it is desired - so it can bend with the polycarbonate matrix - but exhibit varying degrees of rigidity elsewhere.

According to the report, a small flexible skeleton can be made using an ordinary 3D printer "at a fraction of the cost of making this structure". This skeleton base can then be paired with Lego-like electronics to form a complete robot.

Currently, printing and assembling such a robot takes less than two hours. Nevertheless, scientists are now developing a fully automated assembly line to build entire "swarms" of robots that will work together to perform tasks such as searching for survivors at disaster sites. "We hope that these flexible skeletons will lead to the creation of a new class of flexible, biologically inspired robots," said Professor Nick Gravish, senior author of the research paper. "We want to make it easier for researchers around the world to build soft robots."

The paper was recently published in the journal Soft Robotics.