The fears of robots outliving humans and creating an insurmountable amount of discarded materials when they’ve fulfilled their purpose could be a thing of the past as scientists have crafted robotic parts and controllers that break down naturally.
Specifically, researchers developed a robotic arm and a joystick-like controller to operate it, made from pork gelatin and plant cellulose, which have just the right amount of robustness to perform their function but are delicate enough to decompose in backyard compost, per a Scientific American report from April 12.
Indeed, the scientists who crafted these products for a study in Science Advances, have tested both origami-like structures and observed that they disintegrated in soil in a matter of weeks, making it an important breakthrough in the field of biodegradable robotics, often considered part of soft robotics, inspired by nature’s softer materials.
According to materials scientist Florian Hartmann of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, this field draws upon materials science and chemistry instead of conventional mechanical engineering, but a lot of early soft robotics prototypes still depended on synthetic polymers that contribute to pollution.
For the newest study, Pingdong Wei, a materials scientist working with natural polymers at Westlake University in Hangzhou, worked together with his friend Zhuang Zhang, a robotics engineer currently with Fudan University in Shanghai, to create these more environmentally friendly robots.
Why a biodegradable robot is more useful
The duo started by taking cellulose layers derived from cotton pulp, adding glycerol for flexibility, and drying the layers to make them stronger. For sensors, they used a conductive gelatine extracted from pork, which allows the flow of ions to change upon stretching, bending, or pressing the material. Then, they folded the flat films and sensors into 3D structures.
They discovered that both the controller and robotic arms were sturdy enough for heavy use and a week of inactivity. Lastly, they buried them both in a 20-centimeter-deep hole near their campus, discovering within eight weeks that the machines were almost entirely decomposed.
In the view of Wei and Zhang, once the technology goes through more experimentation and implementation, bots like theirs could handle hazardous waste and then dissolve or aid in surgeries and then break down safely inside the body.
Commenting on their discovery, robotics engineer Ellen Rumley, who is also at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems but didn’t participate in the study, said that:
“The way the researchers were able to engineer something so rigid yet so soft is impressive.”
Elsewhere, robots made from synthetic materials are becoming more commonplace, including in our homes where they help with chores, patrolling the streets alongside police to serve and protect, taking up creative tasks with varying success, and even training our star athletes.
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