Soft robotics, unlike traditional rigid robots, are made from flexible materials that mimic the movement of living organisms. This flexibility makes them ideal for navigating tight spaces, such as debris in a disaster zone or the intricate pathways of the human body. However, integrating sensors and electronics into these flexible systems has posed a significant challenge, according Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State.
Unlike traditional rigid robots, these soft robots are made from flexible materials that mimic living organisms’ movement. They integrate flexible electronics with magnetically controlled motion, allowing them to crawl through tight spaces like earthquake rubble or navigate inside the human body.
These robots move using hard magnetic materials embedded in their flexible structure, allowing them to respond predictably to external magnetic fields. Researchers can control the robots’ movements (bending, twisting, crawling) by adjusting the magnetic field’s strength and direction.
The researchers are working on creating a “robot pill” that could be swallowed and navigate through the gastrointestinal tract to detect diseases or deliver drugs precisely. With integrated sensors, these robots could measure pH levels, detect abnormalities, and deliver medication to specific locations inside the body.
“The biggest challenge really was to make it smart,” said Cheng, co-corresponding author of the team’s study published in Nano-Micro Letters. “For most applications, soft robotics have been a one-way communication system, meaning they rely on external control to navigate through complex environments. Our goal was to integrate smart sensors so these robots could interact with their surroundings and operate with minimal human intervention.”