Scientists Makes A Rubbery Soft Robot That Can Walk On Fire, Ice, Acid - Watch Video

A soft, squishy robot, made of silicone rubber, which allows it to tread and survive on snow, water, flames and even acid, has been created by engineers from Harvard University. The robot, with a little more of improvement, can be used in search and rescue missions.
The news about the soft robot from Harvard that continues to walk after being beaten down with a hammer made headlines a few years ago. Since then, the scientists have worked very hard on improving the technology, with the newest model providing many more interesting features.

Scroll down to see the video of the soft robot in action.

While all the previous model of this soft robot required tether to walk on land, the latest one, 65 centimetres in length is untethered. Created by Michael Tolley and his team at Harvard University, the robot has no skeleton and can walk at a rate of 60 feet per hour for two continuous hours.

Acording to Discovery news, the new rubbery soft robot is capable of functioning efficiently at subzero temperatures and 40 km/h winds. It can also function in water, 5 centimetres deep and withstand fire up to 50 seconds.

Tolley and his team see the creation as a stepping stone that will eventually help them make robots that can undertake more complex tasks such as holding delicate objects and jumping. In order to increase the speed of the robot, Tolley recommends adding feet and even programming it to respond in a particular way.

How does the soft robot walk?
As per Inquisitir, the soft robot might seem like a fish or a sea creature without any limbs. Its' elastomer compartments deflate and inflate accordingly, thus providing a "temporary structure and rigidity." It also comprises of $1,111 worth of tiny air compressors, valves, batteries and controllers. Its' battery pack and an electrically powered air compressor system drives its pneumatic motion, states New Scientist.

The researchers in the online version of the study state that "Silicone soft robots are in principle, capable of operating in environments in which temperature has a wide range. In addition, many siloxane-derived polymers are: (i) hydrophobic (i.e., water resistant) and energetically stable to corrosive, nucleo-, and electrophilic attack from many polar moieties; (ii) resistant to ultraviolet (UV) light, and thus stable in intense sunlight over several decades; and (iii) fire resistant, so capable of surviving brief, but direct, exposure to flames.

Click here to read the complete online version of the study.

Source: Youtube/New Scientist