The First Entirely Soft Robot

A team of Harvard University researchers have demonstrated the first autonomous entirely soft robot.  The nickname for this robot is the Octobot.  This robot could pave the way for a new generation of completely soft robots.  Robert Wood and Jennifer Lewis led the research for the project.

Soft robots could potentially revolutionize how humans interact with machines.  Up until now, things such as batteries and circuit boards  were needed for the soft bodied robots to run.  The struggle with creating these soft robots has always been finding replacements for the rigid pieces needed to make a robot work.

Using a hybrid assembly approach, Lewis and Wood were able to 3D print each component needed within the soft robot body.   They cleverly gave the name Octobot to the soft robot because Octopuses have been the inspiration of the work since they are able to perform incredible feats of strength without an internal skeleton.

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