Book 15, Question 65
Why Are Some Robots Soft and Squishy?
A soft robot is made of bendy material, like silicone rubber! Air or liquid fills little hollow chambers and makes the fingers curl. Being soft makes them gentle with delicate things.
More fun facts
- Soft robots are built mostly of bendy, stretchy materials.
- They can mold themselves to their surroundings instead of needing lots of calculations.
- A squishy octopus-shaped robot called the octobot is less than 2 centimeters tall.
- The octobot has no wires or batteries.
- A chemical reaction turns a little liquid fuel into a lot of gas, which inflates its arms like balloons.
- Soft robots could lead to cheaper, safer medical devices.
Sources: Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
How does the octobot move its arms without batteries?
A chemical reaction turns a little liquid fuel into a lot of gas, which inflates its arms like balloons.