Soft Circuits Eliminate Robotic Hard Parts

Mar-25-19 An innovative soft computer made up of silicon tubing and pressurized air may have eliminated the final metal bits from soft robotics.

Developed by a team from the US Department of Energy and led by Daniel J.Preston, the soft circuits are an evolution of the soft valves created by Preston's team at Harvard. The valves allowed the team to build a soft computer that relies on the traditional logic gate theory, responding to NOT, AND and OR with changes in air pressure. According to Daniel J. Preston, first author on the published paper, the three gates enable the device to “replicate any behavior found on any electronic computer."

In addition to the absence of hard metal components, the soft circuits consume no energy when dormant and could be easily camouflaged to blend in completely with the environment.

More Info about this Invention:

[INVERSE.COM]
[SEAS. HARVARD.EDU]

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