The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released information about a new, chameleon-like soft robot that has a range of capabilities and can be produced at a very low cost. DARPA hopes the new “hiding in plain sight” robot will be used by various defense agencies for many types of missions.
Researchers led by Drs. George Whitesides and Stephen Morin at Harvard University’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering successfully created the robot under DARPA’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) program. The robot can walk on its own, glow, carry certain liquids, and change color, apparent shape and temperature.
DARPA’s press release further explained the new soft robot’s capabilities: “What DARPA has achieved with silicone-based soft robots is development of a very low cost manufacturing method that uses silicone molds. By introducing narrow channels into the molds through which air and various types of fluids can be pumped, a robot can be made to change its color, contrast, apparent shape and temperature to blend with its environment, glow through chemiluminescence, and most importantly, achieve actuation, or movement, through pneumatic pressurization and inflation of the channels. The combination of low cost and increased capabilities means DARPA has removed one of the major obstacles to greater DoD adoption of robot technology.”
DARPA’s report on the chameleon-lik robot comes about one week after another DARPA-financed robot project was announced, the creation of a soft, autonomous robot called a “Meshworm” that resembles an Earthworm.
Gill Pratt, the DARPA program manager for M3, put the achievement in context. “DARPA is developing a suite of robots that draw inspiration from the ingenuity and efficiency of nature. For defense applications, ingenuity and efficiency are not enough—robotic systems must also be cost effective,” he said. “This novel robot is a significant advance towards achieving all three goals.”
Inside DARPA’s new robot, the microfluidic networks used for camouflage or display are contained in thin silicone sheets referred to as color layers. Various heated or cooled dye, chemiluminescent and fluorescent solutions and water can be pumped through the color layers to adjust temperature and appearance.
With its adaptive camouflage and ability to squeeze through tight spaces, the “hiding in plain sight” robot will naturally make a good tool for surveillance in covert governmental operations or regular security surveillance. Depending on the extent of its ability to carry solid objects, any video equipment attached will be assisted by the glow of the robot. For covert operations, several robots could also be dropped in a darkened area to create mobile landing zones for aircraft.
The military could make use of the robots ability to transport “various types” of liquid, even some liquids that are temperature-sensitive given that the robot can control temperature to a certain extent. More nefarious uses of the robot might include carrying computer system hacking equipment, mines, or chemical or biological weapons.
The robot’s softness and ability to glow and change temperatures could also make it a less invasive way of watching wild life closely. Its pliability and glow make it useful for exploring hard to reach places, perhaps making it a useful search and rescue tool, such as in collapsed mines or buildings.
Compared with using traditional, non-soft robots, DARPA believes that the ease and low expense of producing soft robots, coupled with their extraordinary capabilities, will make them able to assist in the execution of military operations far more effectively across a far greater range of missions and at a cheaper cost for the U.S. Department of Defense. The new developments were reported in the August 17 issue of Science Magazine.
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