Articles tagged with "light-responsive-materials"
Rethinking how robots move: Light and AI drive precise motion in soft robotic arm - Robohub
Researchers at Rice University have developed a novel soft robotic arm that can perform complex tasks such as navigating obstacles or hitting a ball, controlled remotely by laser beams without any onboard electronics or wiring. The arm is made from azobenzene liquid crystal elastomer, a polymer that responds to light by shrinking under blue laser illumination and relaxing in the dark, enabling rapid and reversible shape changes. This material’s fast relaxation time and responsiveness to safer, longer wavelengths of light allow real-time, reconfigurable control, a significant improvement over previous light-sensitive materials that required harmful UV light or slow reset times. The robotic system integrates a spatial light modulator to split a single laser into multiple adjustable beamlets, each targeting different parts of the arm to induce bending or contraction with high precision, akin to the flexible tentacles of an octopus. A neural network was trained to predict the necessary light patterns to achieve specific movements, simplifying the control of the arm and enabling virtually infinite degrees of freedom beyond traditional robots with fixed joints
roboticssoft-roboticssmart-materialsAI-controllight-responsive-materialsmachine-learningazobenzene-elastomerFlexible soft robot arm moves with light — no wires or chips inside
Engineers at Rice University have developed a flexible, octopus-inspired soft robotic arm that operates entirely through light beams, eliminating the need for wires or internal electronics. This innovative arm is powered by a light-responsive polymer called azobenzene liquid crystal elastomer, which contracts when exposed to blue laser light and relaxes in the dark, enabling precise bending motions. The arm’s movement mimics natural behaviors, such as a flower stem bending toward sunlight, allowing it to perform complex tasks like obstacle navigation and hitting a ball with accuracy. The control system uses a spatial light modulator to split a laser into multiple adjustable beamlets, each targeting different parts of the arm to flex or contract as needed. Machine learning, specifically a convolutional neural network trained on various light patterns and corresponding arm movements, enables real-time, automated control of the arm’s fluid motions. Although the current prototype operates in two dimensions, the researchers aim to develop three-dimensional versions with additional sensors, potentially benefiting applications ranging from implantable surgical devices to industrial robots handling soft materials. This approach promises robots with far greater flexibility and degrees of freedom than traditional rigid-jointed machines.
soft-roboticslight-responsive-materialsazobenzene-liquid-crystal-elastomermachine-learningflexible-robot-armremote-control-roboticsbio-inspired-roboticsLight-powered underwater robots achieve 2x mammalian muscle strength
robotsoft-roboticsartificial-musclesunderwater-roboticslight-responsive-materialsphotochemical-actuatorsazobenzene