Self-destructing robots designed for classified missions

A team of researchers from Korea has created a self-destructing soft robot that could be used to protect data in classified or dangerous missions.

The team, from Seoul National University, created a novel material that is strong enough to support a robot but can disintegrate when certain substances interact.

“On-demand degradable soft robots, which conserve their original functionality during operation and rapidly degrade under specific external stimulation, present the opportunity to self-direct the disappearance of temporary robots,” the team said.

For the design, the team used a silicone resin that releases fluoride ions when exposed to UV light, heating the material and causing it to rapidly degrade, leaving only an oily liquid behind. 

The robot was also fitted with a temperature sensor array, strain sensor and photodetector array, with the temperature sensor and photodetector monitoring conditions to determine when to trigger the robot’s self-destruction.

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