UK Scientists Create Electric Jelly Robot That Bends And Moves Like Living Tissue

Researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London have unveiled a soft, jelly-like robot capable of shape-shifting and moving via external electric fields. This innovation eliminates the need for traditional motors, gears, or rigid joints, allowing the machine to navigate environments that are often inaccessible to standard robotics. In a recent video, a prototype humanoid "gymnast" demonstrated the ability to swing across surfaces using its flexible body. 

According to University of Bristol researcher Ciqun Xu, the robot's body acts as its own moving mechanism when electricity is applied. It generates stretching, bending, and twisting movements, allowing it to move. The study was published in Advanced Materials in October last year.

Features of the Shape-shifting Robot

• The robot is constructed from a new smart composite called electro-morphing gel (e-MG).
• It utilises ultra-lightweight electrodes to respond rapidly to surrounding electric fields, which trigger stretching, bending, and twisting.
• In demonstrations, a miniature humanoid "gymnast" made from this gel was shown swinging across overhead surfaces by adjusting the positioning of external electric fields.
• The e-MG robot demonstrated consistent performance over 10,000 actuation cycles during testing.

Applications of the Robot

The researchers describe this development as a step toward "Swiss Army knife" robots that can be tailored for specific, delicate tasks. "Think of the e-MG robot and future soft robots as Swiss Army knives; their adaptability can provide a diverse range of tools for situations where traditional robots may not be suitable," said Ciqun Xu. 

"It can do like environmental exploration, like we send the robots in an unexplored environment and use that electric field externally, remotely, to control and move around this area to explore the environment," Xu added. 

The fields where such robots can be used are:

• Healthcare: Navigating inside the human body for minimally invasive procedures or targeted drug delivery.
• Exploration: Investigating fragile ecosystems or tight, hard-to-reach industrial spaces like narrow pipes.
• Search-and-Rescue: Moving through tight, confined spaces to reach areas inaccessible to humans or traditional machines.