Harvard University researchers built what they describe as the world’s first completely*soft robot. The device looks like an octopus and is appropriately named Octobot. Though it resembles a toy, the core tech**logy within it may one day be used for medical applications such as minimally invasive surgery and imaging of the GI tract.
To overcome the limitations of commonly used*tech**logies, such as rigid batteries and other electronics, the team harnessed more exotic methods to build the Octobot. Instead of a battery, the Robot uses a chemical reaction fueled by hydrogen peroxide to power its movement, which happens inside a 3D printed network made of a composition of different materials. Replacing traditional electronics is a microfluidic logic system that self-controls the release of the hydrogen peroxide and*so how fast the Robot moves.