Soft robots move like solid

The team at Harvard built robots with the "scabs" that were made by Japan.

Scientists at Harvard University create a snake that can crawl, twist or straighten, promising to bring many useful applications, Xinhua reported Feb. 22.

To make the robot, the team took a flat plastic sheet and used a laser cutter to cut many of the lines on it to create "solid scales" based on it.

Soft snake-like robots can crawl, twist or straighten.

They continue to wrap the plastic around a tube-shaped, rubber-like device that can be stretched by air like a balloon.

As the driving device expands, the cut pieces also open, forming a mounting surface that can cling to the ground. When the device bends, the pieces fold and push the robot forward.

The team tested many cutting styles, including triangular, round and trapezoidal cut. They found trapezoidal cut pieces, the most snake-like shapes, which made the robot move most easily. Scientists say that their kirigami-based method could pave the way for the design of a new generation of soft robots.

"Someday, soft robots moving across many of these terrains can go to harsh environments to explore, investigate, monitor, perform search, rescue, or manipulation tasks. It's complicated, " said study author Katia Bertoldi.