Flexible robotic hand completes the first level of Super Mario Bros

If speed racers have long known robots capable of managing Mario levels of a ready-made frame, it’s a special hydraulic robotic hand that has rubbed its shoulders with this flagship Nintendo title.

The world of Super Mario Bros. is definitely attracting robot fans right now. after, after Giant domino mural made in just 24 hoursNow, it’s the turn of a “flexible” robotic hand to complete the first level of the Nintendo video game.

Traditionally, when we think of a robotic hand, we have the image of a hand Metallic, equipped with actuators and filled with electric cables. At the same time, what engineers call “soft robots,” or flexible robots, that use less rigid parts and fluids, such as water or air, have been developed.

special hand

This robotic hand equipped with 3 fingers is relatively unique in its design and operation compared to Other representatives of the flexible robot category.

First, Manufactured by 3D printing. 3D printing technology is more popular in designing prototyping or concept demonstration. The advantage is the ability to quickly produce parts at a lower cost and quickly debug prototypes before a potential manufacturing stage.

But the most impressive are the “transistors” used. In fact, to control the three fingers separately, it was normal to take 3 separate fluids. However, the researchers succeeded in Create components that react to different pressure levels of the fluid to control the flow in every finger from a single air or water source, greatly simplify the Power Control part.

This type of solution is not without its drawbacks. It is really difficult to fully control this type of robot due to its flexibility. In addition, the creation of liquid “transistors” Requires use of clean rooms (dust free), which increases your bill dramatically.

Explain the concept

Obviously, the goal of this type of bot is not to break speed records in video games. Flexible robots have been developed to take advantage of their flexibility To reach hard-to-reach places, where their traditional counterparts can’t go.

like This robot that looks like a salamanderThe primary application of flexible robots will be to search for and rescue buried victims in the aftermath of an earthquake, storm or building collapse, as happened recently in Miami.

Source : arstechnica