Elijah Williams
Prepare to be amazed by the latest breakthrough from the brilliant minds at North Carolina State University. In 2022, they introduced their rotini-like soft robots that could navigate mazes all on their own, without any computer or human guidance. How do they do it? It’s all thanks to the concept of physical intelligence.
Physical intelligence is the idea that the materials and design of these robots determine their behaviors. They don’t need a computer or human operator to tell them what to do – they simply rely on their own instincts.
But the team didn’t stop there. They have now taken their success to the next level with an improved version of the robot that can tackle even more complex scenarios.
“In our earlier work, our soft robot could maneuver through a simple obstacle course,” said Jie Yin, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. “However, it had trouble turning unless it encountered an obstacle. This meant it could sometimes get stuck, bouncing back and forth between parallel obstacles.”
But fear not, because the team has developed a new and improved soft robot that can turn on its own. It can navigate twisty mazes and even maneuver around moving obstacles, all thanks to its physical intelligence.
The robot is made from the same liquid crystal elastomer as before. When the material touches a surface temperature of at least 55°C (131°F), it contracts and causes the robot to roll. The hotter the surface, the faster it goes.
However, this time the design has a crucial difference. The new robot is asymmetrical, with one half being a twisted ribbon that can stretch into a straight line, and the other half being a tighter twist that also twists around itself.
This asymmetry creates different forces at each end of the robot, preventing it from rolling in a straight line. You can witness this unique property in action in the video below, where the robot cleverly escapes tight spots.
“The concept behind our new robot is fairly simple,” explained first author Yao Zhao. “Because of its asymmetrical design, it can turn without needing to touch an object. So, while it changes directions when it does encounter an object, it can’t get stuck between parallel objects. Instead, its ability to move in arcs allows it to wiggle its way free.”
Even mazes with moving walls and gaps smaller than its body size pose no challenge for this incredible robo-string, aptly named “maze escaper” by the authors.
But this soft robot isn’t just a marvel of technology and physical intelligence. Yin also highlighted its potential applications, saying, “This work is another step forward in developing innovative approaches to soft robot design, especially for applications where these robots can harness heat energy from their environment.”
The study detailing this groundbreaking work can be found in the journal Science Advances.
