Scientists Have Created The First Autonomous Soft Robot

Science Jeanette Walsh
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The octobot, a clever new creation from Harvard scientists, is going to change the way that we look at robots forever. While most of us have been taught to picture robots as large, metallic entities that stand on two legs, this robot is soft to the touch and comes with eight movable legs, much like its marine counterpart that it was named for.

This octobot is autonomous and was partially created with the use of 3D printing. Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is responsible for the creation of the octobot and it is powered by hydrogen peroxide.

The hydrogen peroxide comes together with a platinum catalyst and creates the gas that is used to move the appendages of the robot. Robert Wood, an engineering professor and one of the main researchers responsible for the project, has spoken about the vision that researchers in the field have in mind for the project.

According to Wood, the most difficult aspect of creating a soft robot is replacing all of the rigid components with analogous systems that are soft, while still remaining functional. Electronic controls and batteries have been especially difficult to replace, which has made the process take longer than expected.

Thanks to this research, scientists have learned that it is much easier to manufacture softer version of these key components than originally expected. Now that the groundwork has been laid, researchers can now create more complex designs.

At press time, the octobot cannot do much more than move its arms around. Scientists plan to make the robot crawl next and this is merely the first step towards the creation of robots that will be able to operate without the assistance of humans.