New worm robot that will pass through the intestines

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The University of Freiburg wrote on Monday that because the robot is made of soft material, it can enter small gaps and move in all directions on any surface.

Unlike their biological counterparts, previous worm robots contained hard parts such as motors. This made it more difficult to navigate in tight spaces, as noted in the robot’s scientific publication in the journal “Advanced Materials.”

To fix this, researchers from the Polymer Chemistry and Materials group at the Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Freiburg, together with a team from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA), built the new robot from so-called soft polymers. Polymers are chemical compounds that also make up plastic. This allows the robot to pass through tight spaces and perform deformations that are not possible with conventional rigid body robots.

Such devices can perform a variety of different functions. From underground search and rescue operations to biomedical procedures such as endoscopy and colonoscopy, to underground exploration and sewer investigations.

Like a worm, the new robot moves forward, alternately contracting and expanding its body. Polymers change shape when heated. The individual parts of the robot can be electrically heated and thus activated, allowing very precise control of the robot’s movements.

However, the technology needs to be developed further before the robot can be used. In the statement, it was stated that the worm robot is still very slow at the current development stage and its movements require a large amount of energy. (SDA)

Source : Blick