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Subscribe for 1$Sign In * NEWS * IE PRO * NEWSLETTERS * IE ACADEMY * PODCASTS * SHOP * JOBS 1 Culture 🚀 FBI AND CISA ISSUE URGENT WARNING TO USE ENCRYPTED APPS AMIDST GROWING CYBER THREATS Kaif Shaikh 20 hours ago 0 2 Energy 🚀 WORLD’S FIRST NUCLEAR-POWERED DIAMOND BATTERY WITH 5,700-YEAR LIFESPAN UNVEILED BY UK Sujita Sinha a day ago 1 3 Innovation 🚀 WATCH: TOYOTA’S HUMANOID ROBOT BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR LONGEST BASKETBALL SHOT Jijo Malayil a day ago 0 4 Energy 🚀 BREAKTHROUGH PROTON BATTERY BEATS LITHIUM LIMIT, BOASTS 3,500 CHARGING CYCLES Aman Tripathi a day ago 1 5 Military 🚀 CHINA CREATES CHAMELEON-LIKE CAMOUFLAGE TECH WITH ‘INVISIBILITY’ POWER FOR MILITARY USE Mrigakshi Dixit a day ago 0 6 Military 🚀 US ARMY PLANS NEW MISSILE FOR AUTONOMOUS LAUNCHERS TO TARGET BEYOND 620 MILES Kapil Kajal 2 days ago 0 7 Energy 🚀 200 MWE LEAD-COOLED SMR DESIGN FOR NUCLEAR FISSION ENERGY TO UNDERGO UK ASSESSMENT Abhishek Bhardwaj 2 days ago 0 8 Innovation 🚀 WORLD’S SMALLEST WALKING ROBOTS REDEFINE FORCE MEASUREMENT AT MICROSCALES Jijo Malayil 2 days ago 0 9 Science 🚀 MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENT SCIENTISTS DISCOVER CANCER-FIGHTING COMPOUND IN GOOSE POOP Srishti Gupta 2 days ago 0 10 Culture 🚀 IRAQI STUDENT’S 4,000-YEAR-OLD MATH MISTAKE WELL PRESERVED ON A CLAY TABLET Maria Mocerino 2 days ago 0 1 Innovation 🌟 ROBOT RAT ROLLS IN TO PLAY, BATTLE REAL RODENTS IN STUNNING TECH BREAKTHROUGH Mrigakshi Dixit 2 hours ago 0 2 Energy 🌟 GERMAN FIRM TESTS POWERFUL NASA BATTERY THAT OFFERS 30,000 CYCLES, 30-YEAR LIFE Jijo Malayil 2 hours ago 0 3 Science 🌟 TICKING TIME BOMB: ARCTIC OCEAN COULD FACE FIRST ICE-FREE DAY BY 2027 Mrigakshi Dixit 3 hours ago 0 4 Military 🌟 MILITARY MARKINGS ON CHINA’S MONSTER TILTROTOR DRONE FUEL TAIWAN CONFLICT FEARS Prabhat Ranjan Mishra 3 hours ago 0 5 Space 🌟 SPACEX COMPLETES STARLINK’S FIRST DIRECT-TO-CELL PHONE CONSTELLATION: ELON MUSK Mrigakshi Dixit 4 hours ago 0 6 Culture 🌟 8 US TELECOM COMPANIES BREACHED BY CHINA’S SALT TYPHOON CYBERATTACK: REPORT Sujita Sinha 5 hours ago 0 7 Military 🌟 OPENAI-ANDURIL TO BUILD SUPER AI FOR US MILITARY DRONE DEFENSE AGAINST CHINA Abhishek Bhardwaj 5 hours ago 0 8 Science 🌟 TODDLER BONES REVEAL ANCIENT AMERICANS MAY HAVE EATEN MAMMOTHS TO EXTINCTION Mrigakshi Dixit 6 hours ago 0 9 Culture 🌟 BITCOIN BREAKS $100,000 BARRIER FOR FIRST TIME AS TRUMP PUMPS CRYPTO BOOM Sujita Sinha 7 hours ago 0 10 Transportation 🌟 SONY-HONDA’S FIRST ELECTRIC SEDAN SET TO LAUNCH IN US, COULD OFFER 275-MILE RANGE Kapil Kajal 16 hours ago 0 * Share * * * * * * * * Innovation ENGINEERS CREATE 1ST ROBOTS CAPABLE OF COMPLEX ACTIONS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY THE TEAM DEVELOPED A REVERSIBLE CIRCUIT WITH AN ADJUSTABLE VALVE THAT USES PRESSURE SIGNALS TO CONTROL SOFT ROBOTS, REDUCING SOFTWARE STRAIN. Updated: Oct 09, 2024 12:14 AM EST Jijo Malayil 2 months ago 1 * Share * * * * * * * The design enables robots to receive complex instructions without electricity, freeing up their 'brain' for advanced functions. iStock Engineers have developed an advanced method of transmitting complex instructions to robots without using electricity. This could potentially free up more processing space in the robot’s system for advanced functions. King’s College London (KCL) researchers developed a novel kind of tiny circuit that communicates through changes in fluid pressure, drawing inspiration from the functioning of the human body. The method enables robots to carry out tasks independently of conventional electrical systems by transmitting a series of commands using a fluid inside the circuit. According to a statement by the team, this “world first opens up the possibility of a new generation of robots, whose bodies could operate independently of their built-in control centre, with this space potentially being used instead for more complex AI-powered software.” SOFT VALVE INNOVATION Soft robots, known for their flexibility and safety, have become useful in various applications, such as wearable devices and manipulators. Typically, these robots are controlled by traditional systems using solenoid valves, regulators, and pumps, which limits their mobility and miniaturization. To address this, scientists are exploring new designs for soft valves and pumps, which can be integrated into the robot’s body, improving efficiency and allowing use in harsh environments. These soft valves, which control fluid flow by bending tubes, reduce the need for many control inputs. Image shows the soft hopper setup with the reconfigurable oscillator circuit (top left) and pressure waveforms at four X values (bottom right). Some designs can remember or forget previous states, and others can create oscillators that work like a clock, enabling robots to perform tasks like swimming and climbing. However, certain approaches still require many valves and extra pressure regulation to fine-tune their operations. “Software has advanced rapidly in recent years, but hardware has not kept up. By creating a hardware system independent from the software running it, we can offload a lot of the computational load onto the hardware, in the same way your brain doesn’t need to tell your heart to beat,” said Antonio Forte, Senior Lecturer in Engineering at King’s College London and senior author of the study, in a statement. PRESSURE-BASED CONTROL Robots now depend entirely on electricity and computer chips to operate. A robotic “brain” composed of algorithms and software translates commands to the robot’s body through encoders, which then carry out actions. In soft robotics, where devices like robotic muscles are made from flexible materials, this reliance on hard electronic components creates challenges. Complex tasks, such as grabbing a door handle, put extra strain on the software, as the soft materials require intricate encoding. In order to solve this, scientists created a reversible circuit that incorporates an adjustable valve into the robot’s hardware. This valve uses pressure signals, which are akin to binary code, to control movements, much like a transistor in conventional circuits. Tomahawk, Storm Shadow, Taurus: The Power Trio of Precision Destruction More Videos 0 seconds of 13 minutes, 10 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Silent Strike: How the EA-18G Growler Dominates Electronic Warfare 12:10 facebook twitter Email pinterest Linkhttps://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/tdlAw8Hn Copied Live 00:00 14:46 13:10 Because of this, robots can perform intricate movements without the use of electricity or a centralized control system. Compared to the current fluid-based circuits, the pressure-based approach provides more flexibility and control. The novel circuit transfers control from software to hardware, reducing computing load and paving the way for more powerful and adaptable robotic systems in the future. SCALABLE PRESSURE SOLUTIONS The design could enable robots to function in places where electricity is not practicable, such as radiation-prone sites like Chernobyl or sensitive electrical spaces like MRI rooms. These robots are also intended to be used in low-income areas with spotty access to electricity. Anticipated challenges in scaling the circuit for larger robots include tethering them to a continuous pressure source. To address this, pressure circuits must be made compatible with low-pressure inputs. “This is actually something we’re already working on, and we have taken big steps towards this aim—we expect to have it published soon,” Mostafa Mousa, a postgraduate researcher at KCL and co-author of the study, told Interesting Engineering. This technology also has the potential to enhance soft robotics by overcoming current limitations in dexterity. A single robot can perform differently by reconfiguring its core element, the valve that alters signal frequency, without changing any circuit components. The goal is to expand this capability, enabling robots to perform various tasks without modifying actuators or circuits, which would save roboticists time and energy. The team’s current goal is to scale up their invention for more extensive uses, integrating these circuits into drive-wheeled systems with soft engines or robots that monitor power plants. The details of the team’s findings were published in the journal Advanced Science. RECOMMENDED ARTICLES 1COMMENT NEWSLETTER THE BLUEPRINT DAILY Stay up-to-date on engineering, tech, space, and science news with The Blueprint. Mail Me By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy ABOUT THE EDITOR Jijo Malayil Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History (Honors) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a PG diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers, and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he likes to go off-roading, engage in political discourse, travel, and teach languages. Newsinnovation POPULAR ARTICLES 1 * innovation WATCH: TOYOTA’S HUMANOID ROBOT BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR LONGEST BASKETBALL SHOT Jijo Malayil a day ago 0 2 * science 10 TIMES FASTER 3D BIOPRINTING TECH MAKES FUNCTIONAL TISSUES IN 40 MINS Mrigakshi Dixit a day ago 0 3 * military CHINA’S LIDAR SENSORS COULD EXPOSE US MILITARY TO CYBER ESPIONAGE: REPORT Prabhat Ranjan Mishra a day ago 0 4 * military US HYPERSONIC WEAPONS WILL HAVE TO BE MORE ACCURATE THAN RUSSIA-CHINA SYSTEMS: REPORT Abhishek Bhardwaj a day ago 0 RELATED ARTICLES * science SLINGSHOT SPIDERS LAUNCH ‘BALLISTIC WEB’ WHEN THEY HEAR APPROACHING PREY * culture 12,000 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP: THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN-DOG CONNECTIONS IN AMERICAS * culture FBI AND CISA ISSUE URGENT WARNING TO USE ENCRYPTED APPS AMIDST GROWING CYBER THREATS * innovation FASTEST SWIMMING SOFT ROBOT INSPIRED BY MANTA RAYS REACHES 6.8 BODY LENGTHS/SECOND JOBS See All Find Your Place In The World BY Amply Capgemini Software Engineer - DevOps Engineer Plano See Job General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc Embedded Software Engineer Dedham $124,113 - $134,294 a year See Job Booz Allen DevOps Engineer, Senior Reston $75,600 - $172,000 a year See Job DataAnnotation Software Engineer - AI Trainer Remote From $40 an hour See Job Search More Roles FEATURED STORIES FOLLOW US ON * Events * IE Academy * Podcasts * News * Editor’s Pick * Trending * Latest News * Topics * Innovation * Entertainment * Videos * Guides * Military * Energy * For Engineers * Engineers Directory * Engineering Jobs * About Us * Contact Us * Advertise With Us * Subscription * Policies * Site Map * Pro * Premium * Newsletters Privacy Policy AI and Ethics Editorial Policy Terms of Services Do Not Sell My Personal Information © Copyright 2024 IE Media, Inc. 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