A joint research team from the Seoul National University College of Engineering, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Mechanical, Smart, and Industrial Engineering Department at Gachon University has developed a next-generation soft robot based on liquid.
Research into developing liquid-based robots is not a new pursuit. Scientists have long attempted to replicate the characteristics of liquids and biological cells that can deform, freely divide, fuse, and capture foreign substances.
The research team, led by Professor Ho-Young Kim, Professor Jeong-Yun Sun, and Professor Keunhwan Park, successfully developed a particle-armored liquid robot encased in dense hydrophobic particles to overcome these limitations.
Similar to the robot “T-1000” portrayed by Robert Patrick in the 1991 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”, the liquid robot developed by the joint research team can pass through metal bars, capture and transport various substances, and even merge with other liquid robots. It is also capable of moving freely through both solid and liquid surfaces.
The research team also demonstrated that the liquid robot could repeatedly perform these tasks and developed a technique to control the robot’s movement and speed using ultrasound.
This particle-armored blob robot oozes and tumbles in ways that rigid robots can’t.
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This novel robot is intended for biomedical and soft robotic applications, such as targeted drug delivery and interventions inside the human body. Industries that handle heavy machinery, particularly given its ability to move effortlessly through extremely narrow spaces are also anticipated to use it.
The paper’s main author, Hyobin Jeon, discussed the considerations made during the team’s initial development of the liquid machine. He explained, “When we first started developing the liquid robot, we initially considered encapsulating a spherical droplet with particles, just as adopted in making conventional liquid marbles.”
Professor Jeon elaborated on his explanation, “By shifting our perspective, we came up with the idea of coating an ice cube with particles and then melting it, which significantly enhanced the stability of our robots.”
The paper’s corresponding author, Professor Ho-Young Kim, said that the team is now working on technology that will allow the robot to imitate one of the key characteristics of human cells: changing shapes freely through sound waves or electric fields.
Professor Jeong-Yun Sun, another corresponding author, remarked that the team plans to enhance the liquid robot’s functionality so it may be used in various industries in the future.
