Thin, robot resembling human muscle, can bend, crawl, and seamlessly navigate through tight areas due to its design.
South Korean Researchers Develop Human-Inspired Robotic Actuator
A team of researchers from South Korea has made a significant breakthrough in the field of robotics, developing a thin, human-inspired robotic actuator. The actuator, developed by a team from Samsung Electronics' Future Robotics Division and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), could revolutionise the way robots interact with humans and perform delicate tasks.
The new actuator is based on the movements of human muscles. It is inspired by the function of myosin, a protein in muscles that generates movement through repeated small contractions. This human-inspired design allows the actuator to move flexibly, generate substantial force, and safely interact with humans.
The sheet-shaped pneumatic actuator contains dozens of tiny air chambers and multi-layered air pathways. When air is injected into these pathways, an accumulation of small forces produces large movements. The actuator is as thin as paper and capable of generating a strong force, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including surgical and factory robots.
The team's technology could potentially enable interactions with humans, as the system could interact in a more delicate and responsive manner than traditional robot hands. The researchers believe this could lead to robots that move more naturally and adaptively in unstructured environments, building untethered animal- and human-scale robots with improved resilience, adaptability, and efficiency in movement.
The actuator's design could also improve the flexibility and maneuverability of conventional robots, allowing them to maneuver through tight spaces due to its size. The team conducted a series of experiments to validate their technology, which showed that their actuator could move with a similar precision to human fingers and successfully move objects underwater.
The findings of the research were published in a paper in Nature Communications. The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Ministry of Science and ICT through the Korea Leading Research Center Program, as well as the Alchemist Project funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Chris Young, a journalist, copywriter, blogger, and tech geek, reported on this innovation, highlighting its potential to advance medical robotics and surgical tools, as well as its relevance across various domains.
In summary, these actuators bring together soft, flexible materials and rigid structural components inspired by human musculoskeletal systems to achieve powerful, compliant, and durable robotic motion with broad applications in robotics requiring adaptive, safe, and efficient movement. The development of this human-inspired robotic actuator could pave the way for a new era in robotics, enabling robots to perform delicate tasks like surgery and interact safely with humans.
- The innovation in South Korean robotics, the human-inspired robotic actuator, takes cues from science, demonstrating the significance of both mechanical engineering and biology in the field.
- This actuator, with its pneumatic design, is a testament to the intersection of technology and science, showcasing the potential of robotics to mimic the movements of human muscles.
- As the researchers continue to make strides in robotics innovation, they propel the industry toward a future where robotics and mechanical engineering may overtake traditional methods in domains like medicine, surgery, and manufacturing.
