THE MOST EXCITING ADVANCEMENTS IN ROBOTICS

To start off, one of the many new advancements in robotics is muscle-mimicking, self-healing, hydraulically amplified actuators. These devices rely on pouches filled with liquid, which makes them contract with the force and speed of mammalian skeletal muscles when a voltage is applied. The most promising robotics application for this technology is the so-called Peano-HASEL, which features multiple rectangular pouches connected in series that contract linearly, acting just like real muscle.

That's not the only advancement that's been made in robotics in the last few years. One new robot, Atlas, is changing the way many people view the applications of robotics. Atlas is a bipedal humanoid robot primarily developed by the American robotics company Boston Dynamics. This robot was initially designed for a variety of different search-and-rescue tasks, but it has expanded its functions recently and, in fact, has recently accomplished doing parkour. In one recent test, the Atlas was able to leap over logs and jump between wooden crates, as well as jumping and running along uneven platforms. However, the Atlas creators have admitted that the videos online are picked from multiple attempts, many of which did not go so well.

Roboticists have long borrowed principles from the animal kingdom. However, a new robot design that mimics the way plant tendrils and fungi mycelium move has really broken the mold on robot navigation. Researchers at Stanford have created a soft robot that navigates through growth. These who created this robot didn’t simply copy nature, they took a general principle and expanded on it. The tube-like robot unfolds from the front as pneumatic pressure is applied. At the same time, unlike a plant, it can grow at the speed of an animal walking and can navigate using visual feedback from a camera. This robot could prove useful in search-and-rescue scenarios, as it can advance without moving its body. So, if the robot is stuck by debris or jammed between rocks, it can keep doing its job without having to worry about extricating itself.

Exoskeletons are another new advancement in technology and in robotics. Exoskeletons, or protective armor made to be worn by humans, could prevent workplace injuries, help injured people to walk again, and even boost soldiers’ endurance. Researchers at Harvard are working on a soft exoskeleton that combines specially-designed textiles, sensors, and lightweight actuators. Researchers at Harvard made an important breakthrough by combining their novel exoskeleton with a machine-learning algorithm that automatically tunes the device to the user’s particular walking style. Using physiological data, it is able to adjust when and where the device needs to deliver a boost to the user’s natural movements to improve walking efficiency.

Roboticists are also looking into helping humans in other ways. A substantial number of scientists are working on making a nanoscale robot- that means a robot smaller than a cell. This robot will be made out of DNA, and will self-assemble. German researchers have recently created a length of tightly-bound DNA molecules to act as a kind of arm, and then attached it to a DNA base plate via a flexible joint. Because DNA carries a charge, they were able to get the arm to swivel around like the hand of a clock by applying a voltage and switch direction by reversing that voltage. The hope of the researchers that this arm could eventually be used to build materials piece by piece at the nanoscale.

Technology is always continuing to develop, and robotics is only a small part of it. In robotics, there are so many new and different advancements occurring every day. From muscle mimicking to robots doing parkour, robotics will never be boring. All of the new advancements in technology are constantly changing, and will continue to improve as time goes on.