Researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have been inspired by marine flatworms to create new miniature robots.
The new machines are capable of navigating cluttered and congested water surfaces, much like flatworms can do.
The work comes from the Soft Transducers Lab and the Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory in EPFL’s School of Engineering in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. Miniature autonomous systems are crucial in many mapping and conservation projects since their size allows them to navigate hard-to-reach areas and collect data at a granular level.
The new miniature robots propel themselves through the water by moving their fins like flatworms oscillating their bodies. The devices can oscillate their fins up to 10 times faster than marine flatworms. This allows them to reach speeds of up to 12 centimeters/4.75 inches per second.
The robots are capable of a wide range of motion and can swim forwards and backward as well as sideways and turning.
According to Herbert Shea, the head of the Soft Transducers Lab:
“In 2020, our team demonstrated autonomous insect-scale crawling robots, but making untethered ultra-thin robots for aquatic environments is a whole new challenge. We had to start from scratch, developing more powerful soft actuators, new undulating locomotion strategies, and compact high-voltage electronics.”
While Florian Hartman, research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and former researcher at the EPFL, stated:
“Our design doesn’t simply replicate nature; it goes beyond what natural organisms can achieve. We aim to extend operating times and enhance autonomy. The fundamental insights gained from this project will not only advance the science of bioinspired robotics but also lay the foundation for practical, lifelike robotic systems that harmonize with nature.”
