BOOKMARK
  • Korean|
  • Chinese|
  • Japanese|
  • Vietnamese
본문내용 바로가기

Aju Business Daily

SEARCH
  • ECONOMY
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • IT
  • South Korea
  • North Korea
  • WORLD
  • SPORTS
  • LIFESTYLE
  • AUTO MOTIVE
  • OPINION
  • PEOPLE
  • MILITARY
Home > IT > article

UNIST researchers design easy way to make soft robots made of flexible materials

Lim Chang-won Reporter(cwlim34@ajunews.com) | Posted : August 27, 2020, 17:14 | Updated : August 28, 2020, 08:20
  • 트위터
  • 페이스북
  • 웨이보

[Courtesy of UNIST]


SEOUL -- Robots in everyday life, such as nursing and pet robots, need soft and flexible characteristics. There is a high interest in soft robots made of flexible materials, but it is difficult to implement a complex driving system with flexible materials. South Korean researchers have developed an easy way to make soft robots that are flexible and strong.

A research team from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) demonstrated a starfish robot using tensegrity (tension + integrity) structures, which are widely used in long-span space structures in civil engineering due to controllability, reliability and flexibility. The production of a starfish robot that can shrink and unfold on its won is possible by using smart magnetic materials.

"This study is meaningful in developing a technique to quickly and easily implement tensegrity structure in the desired form, and will greatly help develop soft robots with various shapes and functions in the future," said Kim Ji-yun, a UNIST professor of material science and engineering.

Tensegrity structure provides both structural integrity and flexibility through the combination of stiff struts and a network of flexible tendons. The integration of smart materials into tensegrity structures would provide additional functionality and may improve existing properties, but manufacturing approaches that generate multi-material parts with intricate 3D shapes suitable for such tensegrities are rare.

"The structural complexity of tensegrity systems fabricated through conventional means is generally limited because these systems often require manual assembly," the UNIST team said in a research paper published on the website of Science Robotics, a science journal.

"We report a simple approach to fabricate tensegrity structures made of smart materials using 3D printing combined with sacrificial molding. Tensegrity structures consisting of monolithic tendon networks based on smart materials supported by struts could be realized without an additional post-assembly process using our approach," the paper read.

"We demonstrated a tensegrity robot capable of walking in any direction and several tensegrity actuators by leveraging smart tendons with magnetic functionality and the programmed mechanics of tensegrity structures. The physical realization of complex tensegrity metamaterials with programmable mechanical components can pave the way toward more algorithmic designs of 3D soft machines."

 

  • Lim Chang-won Reporter
  • email : cwlim34@ajunews.com
© Aju Business Daily & www.ajunews.com Copyright: All materials on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the authorization from the Aju News Corporation.
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • weibo
  • link copy
  • LIST
  • TOP

Related news

  • .Researchers join forces to develop next-generation lithium metal batteries.
    Researchers join forces to develop next-generation lithium m…
  • .Researchers open AI research hub to accelerate corporate digital transformation.
    Researchers open AI research hub to accelerate corporate dig…
  • .Researchers develop efficient, eco-friendly technology to produce ammonia.
    Researchers develop efficient, eco-friendly technology to pr…
  • .S. Korean researchers develop new hole-transporting material for perovskite solar cells.
    S. Korean researchers develop new hole-transporting material…
  • .Smart helmet and wearable exoskeleton robot introduced for emergency personnel.
    Smart helmet and wearable exoskeleton robot introduced for e…

Real Time Photo News

  • .BTS agency posts record earnings in 2020 on brisk online activities and album sales .

    BTS agency posts record earnings in 2020 on brisk online activities and album sales

  • .[FOCUS] BTS agency leagues with Universal Music to launch new K-pop band in US music scene.

    [FOCUS] BTS agency leagues with Universal Music to launch new K-pop band in US music scene

  • .CJ ENM aims to become major visual content producer thru partnership with Epic Games .

    CJ ENM aims to become major visual content producer thru partnership with Epic Games

  • .​Solo singer Sunmi to come back with new album Tail.

    ​Solo singer Sunmi to come back with new album 'Tail'

  • .Big Hits live-streaming joint venture gains reinforcements from Universal Music, YG.

    Big Hit's live-streaming joint venture gains reinforcements from Universal Music, YG

Latest News

more+

  • Prime Minister Chung stresses importance of 'borderless communication channel' to minimize informati…
  • State hospital succeeds in inserting wireless pacemakers into hearts of bradyarrhythmia patients
  • LG Electronics' joint venture with Canada's Magna awaits approval by shareholders in March
  • Sajo Seafood to launch raw tuna menu delivery service
  • Researchers find new roundworm species near Dokdo
Aju Business Daily
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • PRIVACY STATEMENT
  • Copyright Policy

Address : Aju News Corporation LEEMA Building, 11th floor, 42, Jong-ro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul.    Mail : swatchsjp@ajunews.com

Copyright ⓒ 2016 By Ajunews Corporation, All Rights Reserved.

Mobile view