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soft robot for the ocean

17.10.2020

The underwater environment is one of the least explored by mankind. And specifically to help researchers study it in more detail, while not harming corals, as well as marine life in general, engineers from the University of California at San Diego decided and successfully created a squid robot that should be ideal for this purpose. The peculiarity of this robot is that it is "soft". And in general, this is its main advantage, because, unlike hard robots, it will cause much less harm to underwater life than "hard" ones.

In order to create this squid robot, the researchers used almost exclusively soft materials, such as acrylic polymer. The most rigid parts can only be considered those that were printed on a 3D printer and also cut by a laser. The research team, in her own words, drew inspiration from how a real squid moves underwater so that the robot can move independently. It works as follows - the "squid" takes some water into its body, after which it compresses it, thereby pushing the water out and swimming forward.

It is also worth noting the fact that the invention can adjust the position of the nozzle, making it possible to swim in absolutely any direction. According to the creators, the squid robot is capable of swimming at a speed of 0,8 kilometers per hour. Yes, in fact, this is not so much, but in any case, this robot is faster than the vast majority of other soft robots. And of course, the robot also has a special waterproof compartment in which you can place a camera, or any other sensor or equipment of the appropriate size for collecting information and recording video.

Michael T. Tolley, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, commented on this invention as follows: “Basically, we have recreated all the key features that squids use for high-speed swimming in any directions. This is the first robot that is not attached to anything, which is able to generate jet impulses for fast movement, just like a squid. These impulses are generated by changing the shape of their own body, which in turn significantly increases the efficiency of swimming. So very soon, if this project becomes widespread, the study of the deep sea will become a much safer thing for underwater flora and fauna.

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