Soft robot arm could help in disasters and search and rescue

A new robot designed at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab is soft and rubbery, and built to get around tight corners.

The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab’s (CSAIL) design is meant to be an arm for soft robots, machines that utilize compressed air to move their soft parts, making them safe to be around people and capable of doing things traditional robots cannot. It’s design was inspired by octopus tentacles.

The arm was fabricated using 3-D printed molds. The CSAIL team designed hollow, expandable channels on both sides of the arm, when pressurized with air, put strain on the elastic silicon and cause it to blow up like a balloon, allowing the arm to bend to one side.

The soft robotic arm is also made completely from silicone rubber making it better suited for navigating human environments.

“Designing away all the hard components forces us to think about the more difficult questions. Is it possible to do useful manipulation with a robot that’s as soft as chewing gum?” team lead Andrew Marchese said in a press statement.

Taking out all the hard components will let soft robots move in tight tunnels and corners, which could prove helpful in disaster or search and rescue operations.

The next version of the arm will include a finger-gripper that the team will use for picking up and placing objects.

Since soft robots do not have any fixed joints, they can move in confined spaces and change direction more nimbly. They are also built to withstand minor collisions.