DARPA’s Soft Tissue Robots, Not Science Fiction Anymore
This synthetic membrane material is being used to give robots a more life-like feel.
The concept of robots, or synthetic people with soft human like tissue has been the focal point of many characters in science fiction. ‘Synthetic humanoids’ with bio pathways and liquid channeling thru their veins like “BISHOP’ in James Cameraon’s ‘Aliens’ seemed like a far cry distant dream, until now.
BISHOP the android in the 1986 film ‘Aliens’ was not made out of metal parts, but synthetic humanoid tissue.
Instead of a metal structured machine, researchers at Harvard University have developed a soft-tissue walking robot for DARPA and it does seems more like something out of science-fiction. Similar to human veins, this synthetic robot tissue fills itself with micro-fluid that’s networked throughout the robot’s body. The robot uses the fluid similar to blood flow to contract and release itself like moving muscle tissue.
Fluid can be pumped through its channels to adjust the tension of the contracting material, causing the robot to move itself. The initial concept was developed from observing flexible living organisms like Squid, Octopi, and other mullosks that use fluid to contract and release its body motions. The fluid is also able to carry e;electric or nerve signals to different parts of connected parts similar to the human body.
Watch the video below
