Robot Sponge. Credit: Tianqi Yue
Researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered that a straightforward sponge can augment robotic handling capabilities.
The sponge-jamming device, which is simple to produce, aids rigid robots in delicately handling items. It achieves this by simulating the sensitive and variable hardness of a human touch.
Robots can perform acrobatics like skipping, jumping, and somersaulting, but their rigidity hampers their ability to delicately hold objects like eggs. Devices with variable stiffness could provide solutions to mitigate damage from the firm contact of hard robots, or enhance the load-bearing capacity of soft robots.
In their study presented at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023, the researchers demonstrated that a silicone sponge can exhibit variable stiffness.
Tianqi Yue, the lead author from the Department of Engineering Mathematics at Bristol, elucidated: “Softness, also known as stiffness, is critical in touch-based scenarios.
“Robotic arms’ rigidity hinders them from gently grasping fragile objects, like an egg, similar to a human hand.
“What sets humans apart from robotic arms is our soft tissues that surround rigid bones, serving as a natural cushioning mechanism.
“In this study, we’ve created a soft device with adaptable stiffness, designed to be attached to a robotic arm, making interactions between the robot and objects safer.”
Robot Sponge in Action. Credit: Tianqi Yue
Silicone sponge, an inexpensive and easily manufactured material, behaves like a common household cleaning sponge. It is a porous elastomer that can become a variable-stiffness device when compressed.
This novel device has potential applications in industrial robots for handling delicate items like jellies, eggs, and other fragile substances. It can also increase the safety of human-robot interactions in service robots.
Mr. Yue elaborated: “We’ve succeeded in creating an inexpensive, lightweight, and efficient device with a sponge. This device facilitates robots in achieving a softer interaction with objects. Its significant potential lies in its low cost and lightness.
“We envision this silicone-sponge-based variable-stiffness device offering innovative solutions in industrial and healthcare settings, such as adjustable-stiffness needs in robotic polishing and ultrasound imaging.”
The team’s next goal is to design the device to vary its stiffness in multiple directions, including rotation.
Reference: “A Silicone-sponge-based Variable-stiffness Device” by Tianqi Yue at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Silicone Sponge Robotic Device
What is the simple device that improves robotic handling?
The device is a simple sponge, more specifically, a silicone sponge. When squeezed, it stiffens and therefore can be transformed into a variable-stiffness device, which allows robots to handle objects more delicately.
How does the sponge improve the way robots grasp objects?
The sponge can mimic the nuanced touch, or variable stiffness, of a human hand. It can be mounted on a robotic arm to make the contact between the robot and objects safer, thus enhancing the way robots handle objects, particularly delicate ones.
What are the potential applications of this sponge-jamming device?
This device can be used in industrial robots for handling delicate items like jellies, eggs, and other fragile substances. It also has potential applications in service robots, where it can enhance the safety of human-robot interactions.
Who led this research on enhancing robotic handling?
The lead author of this study is Tianqi Yue from the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol.
Where was this study published?
This study was published at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in 2023.
What are the future goals of this research team?
The team aims to further improve the device to achieve variable stiffness in multiple directions, including rotation.
More about Silicone Sponge Robotic Device
- University of Bristol
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023
- Tianqi Yue’s Research Profile
- About Robotic Handling
- Silicone Material Information
5 comments
a sponge making a robot more human-like?? sounds like sci-fi to me… interesting read though.
Woah…this is huge! if robots can handle delicate stuff, think of all the applications in healthcare n industry. mind blown!
Impressive work from the Uni of Bristol. Tianqi Yue, you are the man! Can’t wait to see where this goes.
Wow, this is real cool! who’da thought a simple sponge could do all that. Robots handling eggs, that’s the future folks 😀
Robots holding eggs, jellies… What next? Making breakfast? Feeding babies?? Sometimes I think scientists got too much time on their hands lol.