The Venus Flytrap-Inspired Soft Robot That Doesn't Need Wires
Soft robots are valued for their ability to safely handle delicate objects, but they usually need separate sensors, actuators, wiring, and control electronics to make that happen. Researchers at KAIST have taken a different approach by creating a single soft material that can detect a nearby object, move to grasp it, and then hold that position for more than 10 minutes after the power is removed.
Inspired by the Venus flytrap, the team's "Ionograsper" combines sensing and actuation into a single ionic polymer. Instead of relying on continuous electrical power or complex pneumatic systems, the material responds to a brief pulse of ultraviolet light and then passively maintains its shape, dramatically reducing the energy needed to perform a grasping task.
The approach was inspired by the Venus flytrap (📷: Y. Kim et al.)
The actuator is built from an ionogel mounted on a flexible PDMS substrate. Its active...
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