Humanoid robots like Sophia, granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia, and Atlas, which backflips like a boss, are rigid, strong and rather bulky. They\u2019re made to look like us; they\u2019re not designed after us. But researchers are working hard to give robots a softer touch without losing strength.<\/p>\n
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Two new studies released Thursday in Science<\/em> and Science Robotics\u00a0<\/em>showcase new moving robotic parts, called actuators, that are advancing soft robots, making them more adaptable, flexible and strong.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the help of these new designs and other work being done by scientists in the field, soft robotics could benefit many sectors, including industrial and medical industries. Not only that, but since the robots are made of soft materials they are less likely to harm us, which means we could find ourselves interacting with squishy robots more in the future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These new parts, called hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators (HASEL), can contract with precision and force similar to mammalian muscles, even outperforming humans at times. These \u201cmuscles\u201d can lift baseballs and even delicate items like a raspberry or raw egg.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe draw our inspiration from the astonishing capabilities of biological muscle,\u201d said Christoph Keplinger, senior author of both papers in a news release. \u201cHASEL actuators synergize the strengths of soft fluidic and soft electrostatic actuators, and thus combine versatility and performance like no other artificial muscle before.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n