The newest development in robotics technology doesn't just lend a hand — it disappears when its job is done.
Researchers at Westlake University in Zhejiang, China, have developed a new "origami-inspired robot arm," according to New Scientist. It's made from plant material and pig gelatin with the goal of making the future of robotics greener.
Soft robotics is a branch of the technological science that emphasizes the use of flexible, lightweight materials to accomplish tasks that traditional robotics cannot. The team at Westlake has their eyes set on a time when soft robotics can also be combined with biodegradable materials.
"In the future we may have more robots on the planet than human beings, so there'll be lots of waste," researcher Hanqing Jiang told New Scientist. "In landfill is where we need these robots to disappear."
The team used a tubelike design that "can be compressed and bent side-to-side" as well as extended when needed for maximum flexibility. The pig gelatin is also able to act as a sensor for the arm, and, using electrical signals, researchers can track the movement and placement of the arm at all times.
By combining these two elements, the arm will be well-equipped for a number of tasks, including industrial work, accessing hard-to-reach spaces, and even surgery.
"I strongly believe soft robotics can go much further than where we are now," Kaspar Althoefer, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London, told New Scientist. "You could in such a scenario leave your tools behind, so to speak, without a problem."
Silicon represents a large amount of the materials currently used in soft robotics. But there is a nearly 40 percent loss of silicon when it is sliced. Furthermore, the leftover silicon can become a hazardous waste that is not biodegradable.
This new material combining "cellulose derived from cotton and gelatin from pigs" enables less waste in production of the technology. And, when finished with, the materials will break down.
While this development is still in the works, other researchers and companies are utilizing robotics in environmentally-friendly ways, demonstrating that innovations can deliver a greener and more efficient future.
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