Shapeshifting Robot: Real-Life Version of Terminator
For many years, scientists have been developing soft robots that can be magnetically controlled. But this shapeshifting robot is a bit different. Some would describe it as a thrilling hallmark of a movie that involves the end of humankind and the rise of robots.
Solid to Liquid and Vice Versa
This robot can melt from solid to liquid. It has a shape of a Lego that can reform itself in order to squeeze in and out of tight spaces. It can solder a circuit board. And just like in Terminator, it can escape cages.
According to the scientists who made this shapeshifting robot:
“We demonstrate the unique capabilities of MPTMs by showing their dynamic shape reconfigurability by realizing smart soldering machines and universal screws for smart assembly and machines for foreign body removal and drug delivery in a model stomach.”
The robot has incredible strength. It can be remotely controlled with a magnetic field. It’s made of neodymium, iron, boron and gallium.
The scientists were inspired by how creatures can readily change their stiffness. The materials in this robot can enter delicate spaces and can pass through even the narrowest spaces.
The magnetic liquids can’t carry heavy objects. But this robot can be sturdy and stronger when under pressure. It can carry around 30 times its own weight.
This robot can be used for various applications in healthcare, electronics, and robotics.
The healthcare industry has been using robotics and other forms of automation in the medical field. It includes surgical robots, which are used to perform complex procedures with high precision, as well as assistive robots, which are used to help with tasks like rehab and caregiving.
Robots in this industry can also include telemedicine robots. They can remotely diagnose and treat patients. There are also lab automation robots that can assist with tasks, like specimen handling and analytics.
The use of robotics in healthcare can improve the accuracy and efficiency of medical procedures, as well as enhance patient outcomes.
Tiny Robot to Escape from Prison
As mentioned, the researchers also demonstrated how the shapeshifting robot can melt so it can escape from a cage. It would melt so it can slide through secure bars. Once out, it reforms into a solid state to complete the task.
How it morphs can be likened to the character T-1000 in The Terminator movie franchise. In that movie, the robot could morph way around any solid object before it commits a murderous rampage. Unlike in the movie, this shapeshifting robot could change from liquid to solid in 1 minute and 20 seconds.
But the aim of developing this shapeshifting robot is for good use, especially in clinical settings.
As mentioned, it can be used to reach hard-to-reach spaces. It could be deployed in a human stomach to remove unwanted objects.
Scientists demonstrated it by inserting the solid-form robot through the fake organ. It was melted remotely and stretched in a liquid metal state around the object. Once the object is secured, the robot cooled back into a solid state so it could get the object out of the chamber.
