In the world of robotics, soft robots are the new kids on the block. The unique capabilities of these automata are to bend, deform, stretch, twist or squeeze in all the ways that conventional rigid robots cannot.
Yon Visell, UC Santa Barbara professor in the departments of Media Arts and Technolgoy and Electrical and Computer Engineering, a team of UCSB collaborators are breaking new ground in the realm of soft robotics. An article titled “Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications" and co-authored by Visell, UCSB chemistry and biochemistry professor Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, and postdocs Thanh Nho Do and Hung Phan appears on the cover of the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
A small, soft actuator made of liquid metals and flexible polymers is the soft analog of an electromagnetic motor. This image appeared on the cover of Advanced Functional Materials.