Robots are excellent explorers of sea, land, sky, and space, but one of the most challenging environments to navigate is through the ground. Even granular materials like sand have far more resistance than water and air. Nevertheless, engineers at Georgia Tech and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) have developed a snake-like soft robot that uses various methods to dig sand and soil successfully.
The soft robot moves by growing from its tip like a vine. This feature is handy for underground adventures. Since the tip is the only moving part, friction is much lower than if more movement is involved. Attached to the growing end of the robot is a device that blows air frontward, pushing sand away and clearing the path so that the robot can move more efficiently.
However, while the robot prototype moved horizontally in the sand, it tended to rise until it appeared on the water’s surface. This is rudimentary physics. There is less pressure from the small amount of sand above the robot than the compressed sand below it, making the robot rise upward.
To fix this, the team added another motor to the robot to shoot air downwards, reducing its friction. They also added a wedge in the head of the device to help cut the path to making its way through the sand more efficiently. This idea came from sandfish lizards, known for burrowing and swimming in sand.
The final result is a small robot that can move dry granular substances reasonably easily. On its underground journey, the robot can avoid obstacles by twisting and turning like a serpent, ascending to the other side.
Professor Daniel Goldman, from Georgia Tech, noted:
The development of a robot with such capabilities can inspire new animal studies as well as point to new phenomena in the physics of granular substrates.
This snake-like soft robot might look like a sock puppet, but it can do so much more. According to the engineers, it could help gather soil samples or install underground pipelines with ease.
Over recent years, we have seen some exciting robots inspired by the animal kingdom. For example, in 2019, Pliant Energy Systems unveiled Velox – a robot, drone, generator hybrid that charges itself as it moves. Velox can cover nearly every type of terrain on land and make its way through the water, transitioning seamlessly between the two different environments.
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August 04, 2021 at 08:32AM
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Snake-Inspired Soft Robot Can Voyage Through Sand And Soil - Intelligent Living
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