Combining soft artificial muscles with a rigid, magnetic exoskeleton to create building blocks for versatile robots

Scientists on the Max-Planck-Institute for Clever Techniques (MPI-IS) have developed hexagon-shaped robotic parts, known as modules, that may be snapped collectively LEGO-style into high-speed robots that may be rearranged for various capabilities.

The group of researchers from the Robotic Supplies Division at MPI-IS, led by Christoph Keplinger, built-in synthetic muscle tissue into hexagonal exoskeletons which can be embedded with magnets, permitting for fast mechanical and electrical connections.

The group’s work, “Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots” was published in Science Robotics on September 18, 2024.

Six light-weight inflexible plates constituted of glass fiber function the exoskeleton of every HEXEL module. The internal joints of the hexagons are pushed by hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) artificial muscles.

Making use of a high voltage to the module causes the muscle to activate, rotating the joints of the hexagon and altering its form from lengthy and slim to huge and flat.

“Combining soft and rigid components in this way enables high strokes and high speeds. By connecting several modules, we can create new robot geometries and repurpose them for changing needs,” says Ellen Rumley, a visiting researcher from the University of Colorado Boulder.

She and Zachary Yoder, who’re each Ph.D. college students working within the Robotic Supplies Division, are co-first authors of the publication.

In a video, the group reveals the various behaviors that may be created with HEXEL modules. A gaggle of modules crawls by way of a slim hole, whereas a single module actuates so quick that it may well leap into the air. A number of modules are linked into bigger constructions that produce totally different motions relying on how the modules are connected. As an example, the group mixed a number of modules right into a robot which quickly rolls.

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“In general, it makes a lot of sense to develop robots with reconfigurable capabilities. It’s a sustainable design option—instead of buying five different robots for five different purposes, we can build many different robots by using the same components. Robots made from reconfigurable modules could be rearranged on demand to provide more versatility than specialized systems, which could be beneficial in resource-limited environments,” Yoder concludes.