Taking inspiration from spiders, which spin complex silk structures, the robot is able to accomplish this function using a special kind of heated polymer.
Image of a polymer bridge created by the robot. Source: Marie Vihmar et al.
The team noted that the polymer, which is carried in liquid form, is extruded through a heated nozzle directly into the environment and cools almost immediately into solid fibers — similar to how spiders spin silk threads. These heated polymer strands, once extruded, can then adhere to different surfaces and cool to create strong, flexible fibers.
The robot rapidly spins these fibers into custom-made structures according to the immediate environment or task for which they are intended.
In the lab, the team experimented with the robot under assorted scenarios, including one where they were able to use the device to build a bridge across a gap.
During that specific test, the robot spun fibers into a bridge-like structure that spanned simulated disaster areas filled with glass shards and bird feathers. The team discovered that the spun pathways were strong enough to withstand the weight of a small toy car crossing the bridge.
Also in the lab, the robot was used to produce temporary tools including a soft and delicate gripping limb capable of picking up a flower without damaging it.
The team also demonstrated that the robot could anchor itself and adhere to assorted surfaces, with the robot’s fibers easily attaching to difficult-to-stick surfaces like slippery Teflon, oily sponges and waxy leaves.
Such capabilities have the researchers eyeing the robot for potential disaster relief applications wherein the robots could be used to safely navigate hazardous debris by spinning bridges. Similarly, the robot might be used for construction and engineering applications.
The spider-inspired robot is detailed in the article, “Silk-inspired in situ web spinning for situated robots,” which appears in the journal npj Robotics.
