In the remarkable development in the field of robotics, scientists from Eth Zurich and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems I presented a new robotic leg This imitates biological muscles more than ever before. This innovation is a significant departure from traditional robotics, which has been based on engine -powered systems for almost seven decades.
The cooperating effort, led by Robert Katzschmann and Christoph Keplinger, resulted in a robotic end, which presents the extraordinary possibilities of energy efficiency, adaptive ability and reaction. This progress may potentially transform the landscape of robotics, especially in fields requiring more realistic and versatile mechanical movements.
The importance of this development goes beyond the usual technological novelty. It is a key step towards creating robots that can more effectively navigate and interact with complex, real environments. Ballast, replicating the biomechanics of living creatures, this muscle -powered leg opens up new possibilities of applications, from search and rescue operations to more refined interactions in human cooperation.
Innovation: Electrohydraulic cylinders
In the center of this revolutionary robotic leg are electrohydraulic cylinders, named after the research team. These innovative elements act as artificial muscles, providing the leg with its unique possibilities.
Passel cylinders consist of plastic bags filled with oil, reminiscent of those used for making ice cubes. Each bag is partly coated on both sides with conductive material that serves as an electrode. After applying voltage to these electrodes, they attract because of static electricity, just like the balloon can stick to the hair after rubbing to it. As the voltage increases, the electrodes are approaching, displacing the oil to the bag and causing its overall crazy.
This mechanism allows paired muscle -like movements: when one actuator is shrinking, its equivalent expands, imitating the coordinated effect of rectifier muscles and flexors in biological systems. Scientists control these movements using a computer code, which communicates with high voltage amplifiers, determining which cylinders should conclude a contract or expand at a given moment.
Unlike conventional robotic systems, which are based on the engines of 200-year technology-this new approach is a change in the paradigm in robotic activities. Traditional engine -powered robots often struggle with energy efficiency problems, adaptive ability and the need for complex sensor systems. On the other hand, the powered leg deals with these challenges in an innovative way.
Advantages: energy efficiency, adaptability, simplified sensors
The electrohydraulic leg has excellent energy efficiency compared to its counterparts powered by the engine. For example, when maintaining a bent position, the slogan uses much less energy. This performance is visible in thermal imaging, which shows minimal heat production in the electrohydraulic leg compared to the significant heat generated by engine -powered systems.
The possibility of adaptation is another key advantage of this new project. The musculoskeletal system of the leg provides inherent flexibility, enabling flexible adaptation to various areas without the need for pre-programming. This imitates the natural adaptability of biological legs, which can instinctively adapt to different surfaces and strokes.
Perhaps the most impressive leg-powered leg can perform complex movements-in thus high jumps and quick regulations-not relying on complex sensor systems. The conditional properties of the actuators allow the legs to detect and respond to obstacles in a natural way, simplifying the general structure and potentially reducing failure points in applications in the real world.
Applications and future potential
A robotic muscle -powered leg shows the possibilities that exceed the boundaries of what is possible in biomimetic engineering. His ability to make high jumps and perform fast movements shows the potential of more dynamic and agile robotic systems. This agility, combined with the ability of the leg to detect and respond to obstacles without complex sensor matrix, opens the exciting possibilities of future applications.
In the field of soft robotics, this technology can improve the method of interaction of machines with delicate objects or moving into sensitive environments. For example, Katzschmann suggests that electrohydraulic cylinders can be particularly beneficial in developing highly personalized grippers. Such grippers can adapt the strength and technique of adhesion based on whether they support a solid object such as a bullet or a fragile object such as an egg or tomato.
Looking further, scientists imagine potential applications in rescue robotics. Katzschmann speculates that future iterations of this technology can lead to the development of four -time or humanoid robots capable of moving in difficult areas in disaster scenarios. He notes, however, that significant work remains before such applications become reality.
Challenges and wider influence
Despite the groundbreaking character, the current prototype faces restrictions. As Katzschmann explains: “Compared to robots walking with electric motors, our system is still limited. The leg is currently attached to the rod, jumps over and over again and cannot yet move freely.” Overcoming these restrictions to create fully mobile muscle -powered robots is another serious obstacle to the research team.
Nevertheless, the wider impact of this innovation on the field of robotics cannot be overestimated. Keplinger emphasizes the transformation potential of new concepts of equipment, such as artificial muscles: “The field of robotics is making quick progress thanks to advanced control elements and machine learning; while in the robotic equipment there was much less progress, which is as important.”
This development signals a potential change in the philosophy of robotic design, departing from stiff, engines powered by systems towards more flexible muscle actuators. Such a change can lead to robots that are not only more energy -saving and flexible, but also safer in human interaction and more able to imitate biological movements.
Lower line
A robotic muscle -powered leg developed by scientists in Eth Zurich and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems means a significant milestone in biomimetic engineering. Using electrohydraulic cylinders, this innovation offers insight into the future in which robots move and adapt more vivid creatures than machines.
While the challenges related to the development of fully mobile, autonomous robots thanks to this technology, potential applications are huge and exciting. From more skillful industrial robots to agile rescue machines capable of navigating disaster zones, this breakthrough can change our understanding of robotics. As the research progresses, we can be witnesses of the early stages of changing the paradigm, which blur the border between mechanical and biological, potentially revolutionizing the method of designing and interaction with robots in the coming years.
