Researchers have presented a soft robot that can move in water almost like a real jellyfish. The development demonstrates that the future of robotics depends not only on new materials, but also on software that controls the complex movements of flexible mechanisms.
Modern robotics is increasingly turning to nature in search of new engineering solutions, notes xrust. One of the most interesting examples was the development of a soft robot capable of moving like a real jellyfish. Such machines differ from conventional robots not only in appearance, but also in their approach to design.
If a traditional robot consists of rigid parts, joints and drives, then soft robots are created from flexible materials that can bend and deform like living organisms. The researchers' new development demonstrates how far the field has come in recent years.
Why engineers chose the jellyfish
At first glance, the jellyfish seems to be a very simple creature. However, biologists have long known that its method of movement is one of the most energy efficient in nature. The jellyfish contracts its body, pushing out water and creating jet thrust. Then the dome opens again, preparing the body for the next movement.
It was this principle that inspired engineers to create a new underwater robot. Its flexible body is capable of repeating the characteristic contractions and expansions that cause the jellyfish to move through the water. Such biomimetic solutions are becoming increasingly popular in robotics. Scientists around the world are actively studying marine animals and creating machines inspired by jellyfish, octopuses and starfish.
However, the main achievement of the project was not so much the mechanism itself as the control system.
Where is programming here
When it comes to a soft robot, control turns out to be much more difficult than in the case of a conventional car. With a rigid manipulator, the position of each link can be calculated in advance and the result of the movement can be accurately determined.
With soft structures everything is different. Their elements constantly change shape under the influence of water, pressure and their own deformations. Therefore, engineers have to use complex mathematical models and special control algorithms.
Essentially, programmers are creating a digital analogue of the nervous system. The software continuously receives data from sensors, analyzes the robot's position and calculates commands for actuators. Without such a software layer, the robot simply would not be able to move predictably and efficiently.
Artificial intelligence comes to soft robotics
Today, many research groups are using elements of artificial intelligence to control flexible robots. The reason is simple: traditional control methods do not cope well with the constantly changing geometry of soft structures.
Modern machine learning algorithms allow the robot to adapt to external conditions in almost real time. For example, the system can take into account current, obstacles or changes in load and automatically adjust movements.
Recent research shows that new AI systems can teach soft robots basic movements and then adapt them to new tasks without complete retraining. This brings such machines significantly closer to the behavior of living organisms.
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