Bio-Inspired Gel Could Lead to Smooth-Moving Robots

May-05-15 A bio-inspired gel able that moves when exposed to light could lead to robots with smoother and more natural motions.

The gel was inspired by the single-celled Euglena mutabilis, which uses energy to alter its shape so it can move. The new gel is made up of polymer gel containing spirobenzopyran (SP), which can be changed into different shapes when exposed to light, and Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) gels, which will pulse periodically and can also be caused to move when exposed to light. Also important, the BZ gel demonstrates an internalized chemical reaction, which allows it to have self-sustained motion when exposed to reagents.

By combining the ability of the SP gels to be shaped with light with the autonomous mechanical actions of the BZ gels, the team developed a material able to undergo self-propelled motion in a fluid and natural way.

Thumbnail: Euglena mutabilis under a microscope.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMODO.COM]
[NATURE.COM]

---