Can be liquid and solid: Scientists have created a shape-shifting humanoid robot
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Scientists from China have created a unique shape-shifting robot. It can switch between liquid and solid states, navigating complex environments without compromising strength. The innovative study was reported in Matter, writes Science Alert. “Giving robots the ability to switch between liquid and solid states gives them more functionality,” says engineer Chengfeng Pan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in China. The innovation could help speed up the assembly of electronics and be used in medicine. Screenshot from the video As the scientists explained, hard materials are not the best for navigating in confined spaces or at sharp angles, while soft, flexible robots are usually weak and harder to control. Scientists were inspired by animals called sea cucumbers. They can alter the stiffness of their tissues to increase load-bearing capacity and limit physical damage. Whereas octopuses can vary the stiffness of their tentacles for camouflage, object manipulation and locomotion. To create the robot, we used gallium, a non-toxic material that can easily transition between soft and solid states at ambient temperature. This metal has a melting point of 29.76°C. That is, you can melt gallium just by holding it in your hand. The researchers embedded a gallium matrix with magnetic particles, creating what they call a “magnetoactive solid-liquid phase transition machine.” The researchers conducted a series of tests: the robots could jump over small ditches, climb over obstacles, and even split up to perform tasks, moving objects before recombining and resolidifying. The scientists also created a small humanoid version – in the form of a Lego figure – of a tanula that managed to escape from a small prison cell. It “leaked” through the bars and re-formed on the other side of the bars. Researchers created this experiment in honor of a scene from the movie “Terminator 2”. After that, scientists started researching practical applications. They created a model of a human stomach and had the robot swallow and remove a small object inside. Such manipulation can help remove swallowed objects – from batteries to drugs. But for real application, this innovation needs certain settings and more detailed research. Read also: Ants can recognize the smell of cancer in urine – scientists
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