Nature inspires 3D-printed quadruped soft robot

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Engineers in the US have taken inspiration from nature to develop the first soft robot that can negotiate rough terrain and climb over obstacles.

The 3D-printed, four-legged robot has been created by researchers led by Michael Tolley, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of California, San Diego. The robot, which could be used to capture sensor readings in dangerous environments or for search and rescue, will be presented at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation from May 29 to June 3 in Singapore.

According to UCSD, the breakthrough was made possible with a high-end printer that allowed researchers to print soft and rigid materials together within the same components.

Bringing together soft and rigid materials will help create a new generation of fast, agile robots that are more adaptable than their predecessors and can safely work side by side with humans, said Tolley.

The idea of blending soft and hard materials into the robot's body came from nature, he added. "In nature, complexity has a very low cost," Tolley said. "Using new manufacturing techniques like 3D printing, we're trying to translate this to robotics."

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