Self-healing robot unveiled

A new robot can identify if and where it’s been damaged, and heal itself on the spot.

The design comes from an engineering team at Cornell Engineering and combines optical sensors with a flexible polymeric material to make a soft robot that can fix itself without human intervention. This self-healing model could be a game changer for robots deployed in remote or inaccessible regions, such as sub-sea or outer space, where conditions are brutal and maintenance is nigh impossible.

“Our lab is always trying to make robots more enduring and agile, so they operate longer with more capabilities,” said Rob Shepherd, research lead. “The thing is, if you make robots operate for a long time, they’re going to accumulate damage. And so how can we allow them to repair or deal with that damage?”

To meet this challenge, the robot has to first understand if it has been damaged, before identifying where the damage has occurred and, finally, attempting to fix itself.

To read the complete article, visit IoT World Today.