Cables could help soft robots transform into harder structures

The sub-category of soft robotics has transformed the way many think about the field. Oft-influenced by natural phenomenon, the technology offers a dramatically different approach than the sort of rigid structures we traditionally think of when we discuss robots.

Soft designs offer a number of benefits, including compliance, which has already seen a number of real-world applications in manufacturing and fulfillment. But like their more rigid cousins, soft robots have their limitations. As such, designers generally choose between one or the other for a given job - or, best-case scenario, design swappable parts.

MIT researchers develop a much better way to optimize the control of soft robots

A team at MIT's CSAIL lab is exploring a technology that could make choosing less of a trade-off. The project has been in the works since 2017, though it's still in the somewhat early stages - still largely the realm of computer simulation, though the details have been outlined in a new paper.

This is the first step in trying to see if we can get the best of both worlds," CSAIL post-doc James Bern said in a release.

In the project (or the simulated version, at least), the robot is controlled by a series of cables. Pulling on them in the right combination turns the soft structure into a hard one. The team uses the analogy of a series of muscles controlling the human arm - if the right ones are flexed, you can effectively lock a position in place.

The team will present their findings at a conference next month. For the time being, they're currently working on a prototype to showcase how it operates in a real-world setting. Combining the two fields could go a ways toward building safer collaborative robots for interacting with human workers.

MIT showcases soft robotic sensors made from flexible, off-the-shelf materials