Researchers have created a new class of robots that can move between solids and liquids on demand. In a series of tests, these new bots could move and shape-shift to run obstacle courses, carry objects, and escape prison cells like Terminators.
There are generally two types of robots. One is a traditional robot that is stiff and strong but not very flexible. And then there are soft robots, which are more flexible but not as strong.
The new robot is made of what the team calls magnetoactive phase-change material (MPTM). This is English and means something that can switch between liquid and solid forms when exposed to a magnetic field. The key component is gallium, a very low metal with a melting point of just under 30 °C (86 °F), embedded with magnetic particles.
The idea is that the MPTM robot remains solid at room temperature and begins to move thanks to the embedded particles when exposed to an alternating magnetic field. A more concentrated magnetic field heats the particles, melting the robot into its liquid form. As it cools, it hardens and hardens.
phase change metal robot
Researchers have demonstrated a wide range of possible tasks for which this system could be used. In one of his most dramatic videos, a humanoid “robot” stands in a prison cell, pacing back and forth thanks to a magnet being dragged underneath. To burst out of prison, the robot melts into liquid, oozes between bars like the T-1000 Terminator, and then resolidifies on the other side. At the end of the video, he reverts to his human form, but don’t get too emotional. The team had to manually rework the mold and put it back together.
In other tests, the team carefully controlled magnetic fields in different regions to guide the robot through an obstacle course by crawling along the ground, jumping over moats, climbing walls, and pushing objects. increase. Robots can also be split in half and sent out to each task, then put back together and reunited.
In a more practical use case, two small robots push the LED into place within the electronic circuit, placing it over the connection and melting it to effectively solder it. In another video, a square of material removes a foreign object from a model’s stomach. Soften the foreign object, swallow the foreign object, harden it and then rush it out. This material melts into a socket, solidifies and he can even make a liquid screw by joining two pieces together.
Of course, this is just proof-of-concept work so far, and there’s almost certainly a much easier way to do all these tasks. That said, it’s an interesting idea, and further investigation may open up new uses.
A study was published in a journal matter.
Source: Cell Press by Eurekalert
