"Soft" Robots

Usually the word “robot” invokes images of large metal machines. But some designers are flipping that convention upside down with explorations in “soft robotics”.

Harvard’s soft robot uses flexible silicone and pneumatics to create a worm-like robot that can move through small cracks and crevices. Watch the video below to see it in action.

For their blob-like robot, iRobot uses a silicone and rubber mix that can “transition between a liquid like and solid like state”, allowing it to “jam” into small spaces. See the video below for a more thorough explanation of the iRobot blob.