Scientists have created a soft robot that looks like a worm. Reported by the Italian Institute of Technology.
Many living organisms have, through evolution, been ideally adapted to the environment in which they live. Therefore, if engineers want to create a robot for such an environment, they usually just have to “watch” for constructive solutions. In particular, worms move due to the fact that the muscle layers create backwards peristaltic waves.
Italian scientists studied the movements of the worms’ muscles and found a way to mimic them using a mechanical device. The resulting robot’s body was made soft and driven by a peristaltic soft drive. The entire body of the robotic worm consists of five segments filled with fluid and connected by jumpers. Thanks to this and the driving action, the body sections can be pulled in and out. Minimum segment size is 10.97 mm, maximum 11.13 mm.
The current prototype is 45 cm long and weighs 605 grams. For movement on different surfaces, pads with increased friction, similar to the hairs of worms, are attached to the segments. The maximum movement speed of the robot is 1.35 mm/s.
The authors believe such robots could potentially aid in underground exploration, excavation, search and rescue operations in underground environments, and exploration of other planets.