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Sidewinder-Inspired Self-Adjusting, Lateral-Rolling Soft Robots for Autonomous Terrain Exploration.

ABSTRACT: Helical structures of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold promise in soft robotics for self-regulated rolling motions. The understanding of their motion paths and potentials for terrain exploration remains limited. This study introduces a self-adjusting, lateral-rolling soft robot inspired by sidewinder snakes. The spring-like LCE helical filaments (HFs) autonomously respond to thermal cues, demonstrating dynamic and sustainable locomotion with adaptive rolling along non-linear paths. By fine-tuning the diameter, pitch, and modulus of the LCE HFs, and the environmental temperature, the movements of the LCE HFs, allowing for exploration of diverse terrains over a 600 cm² area within a few minutes, can be programmed. LCE HFs are showcased to navigate through over nine obstacles, including maze escaping, terrain exploration, target hunting, and successfully surmounting staircases through adaptable rolling.

SUBMITTER: Kim YB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11005722 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sidewinder-Inspired Self-Adjusting, Lateral-Rolling Soft Robots for Autonomous Terrain Exploration.

Kim Young Been YB Yang Shu S Kim Dae Seok DS

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) 20240129 14

Helical structures of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold promise in soft robotics for self-regulated rolling motions. The understanding of their motion paths and potentials for terrain exploration remains limited. This study introduces a self-adjusting, lateral-rolling soft robot inspired by sidewinder snakes. The spring-like LCE helical filaments (HFs) autonomously respond to thermal cues, demonstrating dynamic and sustainable locomotion with adaptive rolling along non-linear paths. By fine- ...[more]

PMID: 38286667

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