Shape Changing Robots-Gateway To The Versatility &Sustainability In Modern Era

Hello, Everyone!

In this fast-paced world, every second heralds technological marvels conducive to mankind even in resource-limited environments. Technology and innovation are paramount for transforming our lives for good.

One such technological marvel is shape-changing robots engineered to simulate the movements of human muscles. Sounds interesting !! Right! So why wait, let us delve into the configurational and technical nuances of this shape-changing robot.

Technological researchers have engineered various robotic components bearing hexagonal shapes, also called MODULES are assembled leading to bigger structures. Let us focus on its Configurational Properties.

CONFIGURATIONAL PROPERTIES OF MODULES:-

Every unit of robotic component or every module is engineered by incorporating electrically powered firm plates which would serve the role of the exoskeleton of each robotic component. Once electrified the plates are capable of shifting shapes from long, narrow, and wide. These plates are no less than engineering wonder and they can also customize their shape into flat at greater speeds.

The structures yielded by assembling units of hexagonal robotic components steer the behavior of jumping fourfolds the height of the configured structure. No more stopping here, these structures can be customized with their shapes for agile rolling or leveraging multimodal actuation for navigating through constrained areas. The robotic structures are incubated at the Max-Planck -Institute for Intelligent Systems(MPI-IS) based in Germany. The realms of study focused by MPI are Biology, Chemistry, Physics as well as Social Sciences.

Every hexagonal unit incorporates six highly firm and lightweight plates fabricated using glass fiber.

Now the question arises as to why only glass fiber is incorporated in the fabrication process. Let us uncover this straight away.

Why Glass Fiber :

The glass fiber is leveraged into the fabrication of rigid plates of the hexagonal unit as it pays tensile strength to the plates while reinforcement of the glass fiber. Not only that, the glass fiber also makes plates withstand greater impact forces making them ideal for high-stress environments.

Another vital property of glass fiber is its composites are way lighter than usual metals offering weight reduction to the plates.

Hence glass fibres are used in applications where weight reduction is crucial e.g. aerospace and automotive industries.

Let us again focus on the configurational properties of the hexagonal units.

Magnets are embedded into plates aiding in swift interlinking to other hexagonal units as well as creating a common reference point for electricity thereby ensuring that all modules operate from a common reference point. This common reference point renders electrical stability and reduces the risk of electrical interference and henceforth enhances the overall performance of the composed structure resulting from the interlink of several units of hexagonal components.

Magnets are embedded into plates aiding in swift interlinking to other hexagonal units as well as creating a common reference point for electricity thereby ensuring that all modules operate from a common reference point. This common reference point renders electrical stability and reduces the risk of electrical interference and henceforth enhances the overall performance of the composed structure resulting from the interlink of several units of hexagonal components.

Let us now navigate through the behavioral properties of the individual hexagonal units.

BEHAVIORAL PROPERTIES:-

The designing team incorporated artificial muscles {known as HYDRAULICALLY AMPLIFIED SELF-HEALING ELECTROSTATIC -HASEL } into the inner joints of the hexagons.

Post electrification of the module the swift movement of the muscle is activated leading to the rotation of joints of the hexagon and henceforth its alteration in shape ranging from long ->narrow and wide-> flat starts.

Below is the video demonstrating the structural configuration and movement created by HEXEL modules.

Conclusively, we can say that the reconfigurable modules can be reassembled when needed contributing to greater versatility which would turn out to be conducive especially when the resources are limited.

Thank You.

References :

https://www.universetoday.com/168681/shape-shifting-robots-mimic-muscle-movements/