Engineers in the US have developed a soft, walking robot capable of crossing pebble strewn landscapes and climbing obstacles. It could go where no other soft robots have gone before.

In a development that renders tentacle-filled fever dreams one step closer, a team of engineers from the University of California San Diego – led by mechanical engineering professor Michael Tolley — have used 3D printing to develop a fully articulated walking robot.

Jokes about spiders and tentacles aside though, the machine Tolley and his team have produced is rather remarkable.

Capable of traversing rough terrain and scaling obstacles in its path, it is hoped the project could lead to applications such as aiding search and rescue efforts. Another possible use is loading the critter with sensors and sending it into hazardous areas to take readings.

To demonstrate the capabilities of their creation, the team put the robot through its paces on a variety of simulated terrains. These tests forced the robot to stomp, crawl and shimmy its way into a tight crawl space.

You can see it in action in the video below.

3D Printed Flexible Robot Legs

The engineers turned to 3D printing to give their robot flexible characteristics. With the manufacturing freedom of an advanced 3D printer at their disposal, they were able to settle on a model that contains both soft and rigid materials.

Soft-bodied robots from the past suffered from limited mobility, the team points out. However this four-legged soft-bodied robot is capable of transitioning from crawling to walking in confined spaces.

It all works thanks to cleverly designed legs.

Each of the four appendages consist of three 3D printed actuators. Basically, these tubes are air-filled chambers which, when inflated or left uninflated in various combinations and timings bend the legs. Careful control of this mimics walking.

The result of year’s work, you can see it up close at the ICRA conference in Singapore at the end of the month.

Source: UC San Diego