UC San Diego researchers have developed a soft robotic skin that enables vine robots that are just a few millimeters wide to navigate convoluted paths and fragile environments.
To accomplish this, the researchers integrated a very thin layer of actuators made of liquid crystal elastomer at strategic locations in the soft skin. The robot is steered by controlling the pressure inside its body and temperature of the actuators.
The researchers showed that a robot equipped with this skin could successfully navigate a model of the arteries in a human body. The robot also was able to navigate a model of the interior of a jet engine. [Read more…] about Robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments