Imagine tiny robots that move like rolling tires, spin like tops, and orbit like moons.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have brought this vision to life with their latest invention: the “Twisted Ringbots”.
These aren’t your typical robots; they’re a game-changer in the world of soft robotics, promising new ways to explore and map areas where humans and traditional robots can’t easily go.
Twisted Ringbots might remind you of a child’s bracelet or a rotini pasta noodle. They’re made from a special material called liquid crystal elastomers, which is like a rubbery ribbon.
The researchers twist this ribbon and connect the ends to form a loop. What’s fascinating is how these Ringbots move.
Place a Ringbot on a surface hotter than a sunny summer day (over 131 degrees Fahrenheit), and it comes to life. The part of the ribbon on the hot surface shrinks, while the rest stays the same. This difference makes the Ringbot roll forward.
The warmer the surface, the faster it rolls. Imagine a wheel made of ribbon, turning and moving ahead.
But that’s not all. The Ringbot also spins around its middle, like a spinning record. And as it rolls and spins, it moves in big circles around a central point, like a planet orbiting a star. If the Ringbot bumps into something, like a wall, it cleverly follows along the edge.
Why Are They Special?
These Ringbots are smart, but not because they have computers or need someone controlling them. Their intelligence comes from their design and the material they’re made from. It’s like their body decides how to move based on how it’s shaped and what it’s made of.
The researchers can even tweak how these Ringbots behave. By changing the ribbon’s twist or width, they can control the Ringbot’s spinning direction and speed.
In tests, these little robots could navigate different shapes like squares and triangles. They follow the edges and can even spot gaps or damages. When two Ringbots are used together, they can map more complex areas, each taking different paths and covering different parts of the space.
The Twisted Ringbots represent a big step in soft robotics. This field is quite new and focuses on robots that aren’t made of hard parts. These robots can go places and do things that traditional robots can’t. The Ringbots, for example, can help in exploring and mapping unknown or hard-to-reach areas.
The creation of the Twisted Ringbots is not just about building a new type of robot. It’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in robotics. It shows how creative designs can lead to robots that move and behave in novel ways. This is exciting for the future of exploration, mapping, and even understanding how to better design robots.
Twisted Ringbots are more than just a scientific curiosity. They’re a glimpse into a future where soft, intelligent robots could play a crucial role in exploring and understanding the world around us. As this field grows, who knows what other amazing robots will roll, spin, and orbit their way into our lives!
