search
HomeTechnology peripheralsAIMore than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

"Why are you chasing me?"

"Because I need syrup urgently."

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

Now, be careful with your emergency syrup, because the soft robot we are going to introduce today can run twice as fast as a cheetah! It is even faster than an F1 car, and can run at a maximum speed of 70 body lengths/s. In comparison, a cheetah runs at about 25 body lengths/s, and an F1 car runs at 50 body lengths/s (body lengths per second). Long representations of relative speeds can quantify the speed of different organisms at various body sizes).

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

This pace looks a bit like a naive scallop, but be sure not to blink, otherwise it will disappear.

This is an electromagnetic-driven miniature soft robot developed by the Soft Materials Laboratory team of Johannes Kepler University. It is only the size of a postage stamp. It not only runs super fast, but also Able to swim, climb steps, cross obstacles and transport cargo.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications under the title "Ultrafast small-scale soft electromagnetic robots”.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

The corresponding and first author of the article is Dr. Guoyong Mao from China. He graduated from Zhejiang University with a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D., and is currently working at Johannes Kepler does research at the University.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

The speed is seventy miles, the body is free

Many animals in nature can move quickly – such as a cheetah or gazelle, where these features are used to help the animal catch prey or hide from predators. For many years, it has been the goal of scientists to create soft and flexible robots with similar speed capabilities. However, the natural flaws of flexible materials, such as slow response and low strength, make most soft robots move slowly.

Soft electromagnetic elastomer-based robots (SEMR) usually respond quickly and are easy to miniaturize; soft electromagnetic elastomer actuators can be made by printing liquid metal coils on elastic substrates. By applying an electric current to the liquid metal, the actuator movement can be controlled.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

But bending motion like this is far from enough. If you want to give the robot a high degree of movement mechanism, further design is needed. The researchers created bilayer actuators by gluing a pre-stretched layer (top) to an undeformed layer (bottom) so that when the bilayer is released, it curls up, taking advantage of the mismatched strain created by the bilayer. curling and releasing to imitate the movement of a cheetah running.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

In addition to the body, the design of the robot’s feet is also very important. The designed L-shaped feet can be Run on various flat surfaces including paper, wood, metal, plastic and glass. However, the greater the friction between the foot material and the flat surface, the faster the robot will run, similar to how a cheetah's claws can firmly grasp the ground.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

When the robot unfolds, the front feet move forward, while the rear feet are fixed due to mechanical interlocking; then the robot contracts, the front feet are fixed, and the rear feet move toward Pull forward. It reaches ultra-high operating speeds of 70 body lengths/s on 3D corrugated substrates (optimum flat surfaces) and an average of 35 body lengths/s on any other surface.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

So far, small robots are driven by a tethered external power supply system. In order to further realize the "freedom" of the robot, the researchers let go of the rope and put a power supply "little bag" on the robot's back - —Customized battery powered printed circuit board (PCB). The robot carrying a schoolbag does not move as fast as before, but it can still reach 2.1 body length/s and swim at a speed of 1.8 body length/s.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

Versatility and freedom of movement: not just speed

Beyond high-speed movement , many animals have broader survival strategies, such as resilience to impacts or falls, the ability to avoid obstacles, the ability to cross terrestrial/aquatic boundaries at will, and the ability to transport prey.

The robot also has these capabilities. The researchers conducted durability tests on it, flattening it with heavy objects during walking, and compressing the main body of the robot with a tensile testing machine. It was found to withstand compressive stresses up to 139 atm (2000 N on the main body).

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

Resilience is not enough, and overcoming obstacles remains challenging for most small robots . The robot can jump over obstacles by applying a pulsed electrical signal. It first contracts and then tilts its body (storing energy in the process), then expands like a compressed spring (releasing energy) and jumps over the obstacle.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

In addition to the terrestrial environment, the small robot also learned to swim, relying on its light weight and relatively low average density, it can float on water without further modification; when driven with square wave current (0.5 A, 20 Hz), the robot swims at a maximum speed of 43 mm/s or 4.8 body length/s, if further improvements are made in the future The speed of the fish will be reached.

More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine

Paper portal:

https://www.nature.com/ articles/s41467-022-32123-4

The above is the detailed content of More than twice as fast as a cheetah! Zhejiang University alumnus developed a soft robot that is faster than an F1 racing car and was published in the Nature sub-magazine. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Statement
This article is reproduced at:51CTO.COM. If there is any infringement, please contact admin@php.cn delete
How to Build Your Personal AI Assistant with Huggingface SmolLMHow to Build Your Personal AI Assistant with Huggingface SmolLMApr 18, 2025 am 11:52 AM

Harness the Power of On-Device AI: Building a Personal Chatbot CLI In the recent past, the concept of a personal AI assistant seemed like science fiction. Imagine Alex, a tech enthusiast, dreaming of a smart, local AI companion—one that doesn't rely

AI For Mental Health Gets Attentively Analyzed Via Exciting New Initiative At Stanford UniversityAI For Mental Health Gets Attentively Analyzed Via Exciting New Initiative At Stanford UniversityApr 18, 2025 am 11:49 AM

Their inaugural launch of AI4MH took place on April 15, 2025, and luminary Dr. Tom Insel, M.D., famed psychiatrist and neuroscientist, served as the kick-off speaker. Dr. Insel is renowned for his outstanding work in mental health research and techno

The 2025 WNBA Draft Class Enters A League Growing And Fighting Online HarassmentThe 2025 WNBA Draft Class Enters A League Growing And Fighting Online HarassmentApr 18, 2025 am 11:44 AM

"We want to ensure that the WNBA remains a space where everyone, players, fans and corporate partners, feel safe, valued and empowered," Engelbert stated, addressing what has become one of women's sports' most damaging challenges. The anno

Comprehensive Guide to Python Built-in Data Structures - Analytics VidhyaComprehensive Guide to Python Built-in Data Structures - Analytics VidhyaApr 18, 2025 am 11:43 AM

Introduction Python excels as a programming language, particularly in data science and generative AI. Efficient data manipulation (storage, management, and access) is crucial when dealing with large datasets. We've previously covered numbers and st

First Impressions From OpenAI's New Models Compared To AlternativesFirst Impressions From OpenAI's New Models Compared To AlternativesApr 18, 2025 am 11:41 AM

Before diving in, an important caveat: AI performance is non-deterministic and highly use-case specific. In simpler terms, Your Mileage May Vary. Don't take this (or any other) article as the final word—instead, test these models on your own scenario

AI Portfolio | How to Build a Portfolio for an AI Career?AI Portfolio | How to Build a Portfolio for an AI Career?Apr 18, 2025 am 11:40 AM

Building a Standout AI/ML Portfolio: A Guide for Beginners and Professionals Creating a compelling portfolio is crucial for securing roles in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This guide provides advice for building a portfolio

What Agentic AI Could Mean For Security OperationsWhat Agentic AI Could Mean For Security OperationsApr 18, 2025 am 11:36 AM

The result? Burnout, inefficiency, and a widening gap between detection and action. None of this should come as a shock to anyone who works in cybersecurity. The promise of agentic AI has emerged as a potential turning point, though. This new class

Google Versus OpenAI: The AI Fight For StudentsGoogle Versus OpenAI: The AI Fight For StudentsApr 18, 2025 am 11:31 AM

Immediate Impact versus Long-Term Partnership? Two weeks ago OpenAI stepped forward with a powerful short-term offer, granting U.S. and Canadian college students free access to ChatGPT Plus through the end of May 2025. This tool includes GPT‑4o, an a

See all articles

Hot AI Tools

Undresser.AI Undress

Undresser.AI Undress

AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover

AI Clothes Remover

Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Undress AI Tool

Undress AI Tool

Undress images for free

Clothoff.io

Clothoff.io

AI clothes remover

AI Hentai Generator

AI Hentai Generator

Generate AI Hentai for free.

Hot Article

R.E.P.O. Energy Crystals Explained and What They Do (Yellow Crystal)
1 months agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌
R.E.P.O. Best Graphic Settings
1 months agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌
Will R.E.P.O. Have Crossplay?
1 months agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌

Hot Tools

WebStorm Mac version

WebStorm Mac version

Useful JavaScript development tools

Atom editor mac version download

Atom editor mac version download

The most popular open source editor

DVWA

DVWA

Damn Vulnerable Web App (DVWA) is a PHP/MySQL web application that is very vulnerable. Its main goals are to be an aid for security professionals to test their skills and tools in a legal environment, to help web developers better understand the process of securing web applications, and to help teachers/students teach/learn in a classroom environment Web application security. The goal of DVWA is to practice some of the most common web vulnerabilities through a simple and straightforward interface, with varying degrees of difficulty. Please note that this software

SublimeText3 English version

SublimeText3 English version

Recommended: Win version, supports code prompts!

SublimeText3 Mac version

SublimeText3 Mac version

God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)