The soft, shape-shifting chembot blobs that roll around and change shape in order to gain mobility are still experimental, but they are part of DARPA’s Chemical Robots Program vision.
The DARPA program aims to create a new class of soft, flexible, mesoscale mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their dimensions in order to perform various tasks.
Researchers from iRobot and the University of Chicago are experimenting with chembots to create a practical shape-shifting model.
Shape-Shifting Blob Bots
Chemical Robot Prototypes to Enter Inaccessible Spaces
Trend Themes
1. Shape-shifting Robots - Opportunities for disruptive innovation in the robotics industry by creating soft, flexible chembot models.
2. Mesoscale Mobile Objects - Opportunities for disruptive innovation in the materials science industry by developing a new class of soft, flexible objects that can maneuver through small spaces.
3. Chemical Robotics - Opportunities for disruptive innovation in the chemical industry by developing soft, mobile chembot prototypes that can perform various tasks in inaccessible spaces.
Industry Implications
1. Robotics - The robotics industry can leverage the development of chembots - shape-shifting models - to create innovative robots that can move through small openings and perform tasks in difficult-to-reach spaces.
2. Materials Science - The materials science industry can capitalize on the development of mesoscale mobile objects - soft and flexible objects - that can perform tasks in small spaces and maneuver through tight openings.
3. Chemical Industry - The chemical industry can create chembot prototypes that can perform various tasks in hard-to-reach spaces, using the soft, shape-shifting model proposed under DARPA's Chemical Robots Program vision.