Color-Changing Soft Robots Will Someday Simulate The Crawlers Of The Deep

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Soft robots are made of silicone and use hydraulic controls to move across a surface or lift an object. Researchers at Harvard University have gotten these guys to walk around (albeit while tethered to a heavy control unit) and now they’ve gotten them to change color.

The robots work like octopi in that the pigment colors their skin based on surrounding rocks and foliage.

In an article in Science Magazine, the team describes how they’ve created a system that senses the surrounding color and then pumps in color. You can read more about the project on the DARPA website where they go in depth on the impetus behind the project.

“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. This novel robot is a significant advance towards achieving all three goals,” said DARPA project manager Gill Pratt.

The robots can also simulate muscle motion for flesh simulators or prosthetics.

These robots will help fill the gap between gasp-inducing monsters like Big Dog and microdrones like those at the GRASP lab. They’re cheap, soft, and can camouflage themselves in dangerous situations. Plus they’re creepy as heck.

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