(Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems/YouTube)
A team of engineers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has developed a robotic jellyfish that uses liquid dielectric actuators operating through electrostatic forces.
The robot is wirelessly controlled, can reach underwater speeds of up to 6.1 centimeters per second, and has the capability to move light objects.
In the future, these robots could be instrumental in cleaning up polluted water bodies.
Soft-material robots have long been of interest to engineers for their potential underwater applications.
Their soft nature means they pose no harm to marine life, making them ideal for tasks such as observing animals safely or taking samples near coral reefs.
Many existing prototypes mimic the appearance and movements of jellyfish, but the challenge lies in selecting the most suitable actuator.
Current options are either too noisy, not effective enough underwater, or they limit the robot's movement and autonomy.
JELLY PROTOTYPE
To address this issue, a team of engineers led by Tianlu Wang has developed a robotic jellyfish based on electrostatic self-healing actuators with hydraulic amplification (HASEL).
The robot features six tentacles and measures 160 millimeters in diameter.
The robot's main component is a sealed polymer shell containing cavities filled with liquid dielectric, or silicone oil.
A layer of carbon ink, which acts as a high-voltage flexible electrode, is applied above the liquid layer.
A waterproof layer of adhesive tape protects the electrode from water contact while also functioning as a spring, allowing the tentacle to return to its original state after activation.
Reinforcing acrylic plates, a few millimeters thick, are placed on top of these layers.
An additional weight of 27 grams is attached to the robot's lower part, ensuring the center of buoyancy is above the center of mass, which provides passive stability.
In the wireless version, the lower part also houses a block containing electronics and a battery.
A density-adjusting block is attached to the top to achieve neutral buoyancy.
The robot's tentacles are activated by applying a voltage of up to 6.5 kilovolts through a copper wire to a carbon electrode.
This creates a potential difference between the electrode and the surrounding water, leading to the compression of the polymer shell and redistribution of liquid in the actuator's closed cavities.
The tentacle bends at the liquid cavity locations, causing the robot jellyfish to push water out of the dome and move in the opposite direction, much like a real jellyfish.
The robot's maximum vertical speed is 6.1 centimeters per second, with an energy consumption of around 100 milliwatts.
To control movement direction, tentacles on one side of the robot are activated separately.
Sources:
- Science Advances: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg0292
- TechExplorist: https://www.techexplorist.com/jellyfish-like-robots-clean-up-oceans/59494/
- Ecowatch: https://www.ecowatch.com/jellyfish-bot-underwater-ocean-pollution.html
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