What is an edible soft robot?

Edible soft robot is simply a' walking supply box'. Not only can creatures eat robots, but their gelatin materials can also be used as energy to provide power support for themselves at critical moments. Researchers have been trying to make soft robot edible. For this reason, the parts needed to make robots, such as transistors, sensors, batteries, electrodes and capacitors, are all made of organic materials. These edible electronic materials have been realized, but there is still a lack of a driving method that can combine them and control their movement freely.

A robot that can eat.

At the IROS Robotics Conference held last week, researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) introduced an edible soft robot prototype made of gelatin, which enabled the robot to perform some controllable operations after being swallowed.

The actions of soft robots are usually produced by reactions. In order to be able to move in different environments, it can't use metal as a skeleton like a rigid robot. Pneumatic artificial muscle is a method to control flexible robots. By changing the air pressure in soft materials, the robot can contract like a muscle, thus achieving the purpose of movement.

The soft robot displayed by EPFL is made by pouring gelatin, glycerol and water into a mold. The overall control mode is similar to pneumatic drive. This structure can make it bend when it is inflated and straighten again when the air pressure decreases. This form of soft robot is not the first time. It used to be used by supermarkets to grab fruit. This new robot replaces plastic with gelatin, which is a biodegradable and edible version.

Walking supply box

The researchers mentioned in the paper that this may not be the best form of soft robot, but it is compatible with biology.

These edible soft robot parts can be mixed with nutrients and pharmaceutical ingredients, and then digested and metabolized by organisms. Its potential application is in medical research. Edible disposable robots are safer, and these characteristics allow them to do some interesting work. For example, in rescue, robots can find survivors under special circumstances and provide nutritional supplements and drug treatment. This safe and edible feature also helps to protect wild animals. When robots are digested, they can be stored as energy in living things.