Overview
Researchers at North Carolina State University have engineered soft robots capable of perpetual jumping when exposed to infrared light. These teardrop-shaped devices leverage a novel mechanism to achieve self-resetting jumping behavior, maintaining their motion as long as the infrared light source remains active.
Research Context
The development addresses a need for new mechanisms in soft robotics, particularly concerning self-resetting movement. The work specifically demonstrates a new approach to facilitate continuous, repetitive actions in soft robotic systems without external intervention for resetting after each actuation.
Approach
The research involved the creation of soft robots characterized by a teardrop shape. The operational principle relies on the interaction between these robots and infrared light. Upon exposure to infrared light, the robots undergo a physical change that results in an upward or forward leap. The system is designed such that the robots automatically reset their state after each jump, allowing for immediate subsequent actuation upon continued light exposure.
Findings
- The robots are teardrop-shaped.
- They exhibit jumping behavior (upward or forward) when exposed to infrared light.
- The jumping motion is continuous; the robots will keep jumping.
- This continuous motion persists as long as the infrared light is present.
- The mechanism employed allows for self-resetting of the jumping behavior.
Why This Matters
This research demonstrates a new mechanism for achieving self-resetting jumping behavior in soft robotics. The ability of these robots to sustain movement while under continuous light exposure introduces a different approach to designing continuously active soft robotic systems.
Research Source
North Carolina State University