“Hydrogels are soft, wet, biocompatible, and can form more friendly interfaces with human organs,” says Xuanhe Zhao, associate professor of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT. [Photo courtesy of Hyunwoo Yuk/MIT Soft Active Materials Lab]
Tough, rubbery and mostly water, these robots can perform an array of tasks including kicking a ball or grabbing and releasing live fish.
The transparent robots move by having water pump in and out of them and consist of an assortment of hollow, hydrogel structures that are connected to rubber tubes. When the robots fill with water, the hydrogel structures inflate and the robot can bend and stretch.
Xuanhe Zhao, associate professor of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT, led the group to create this robot with hopes of incorporating it into medical applications in the future.
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