Trends include the practical and exotic
This year Design World is taking a different tack for its coverage of Trends. We begin the year covering a representative collection of stories (as found in this issue) that typify larger shifts we’re seeing in the industry. We’ll follow with in-depth pieces in coming months highlighting the input of industry leaders and what trends they’re observing.
One new trend is the accelerated adoption of biomimicry for practical real-world applications. These include certain specialty actuators, drones (battery powered and tethered), and grippers as well as other end effectors. For the latter, biologically inspired flying robots and other designs from Festo over the years (some now commercialized) come to mind. To some extent, even humanoid robotics draw inspiration from the natural world.
Bleeding-edge biomimicry designs tend toward the tiny and exotic. Consider new micro-actuators that are inspired by the movement of water-gliding insects — tiny robots controlled by light. These robots could soon be applied in environmental remediation and biomedical applications.
“The swimming robots … respond to external cues such as light or magnetic fields,” said University of Waterloo SMART-Lab director Hamed Shahsavan.
The research team was inspired by the movement strategy of Gerridae insects, commonly known as water striders, which release chemicals through their bodies to allow them to glide on water. They also manipulate the water’s surface with their legs to control the direction of their motion.
Tiny robots made to mimic the insects feature liquid crystal elastomers, materials that change shape in response to light, and protein-based chemical motors inspired by squid biology. When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, flexible legs on the robots bend upward or downward, altering surface tension with the water and mirroring how water striders steer to move forward, turn or pivot.
“We’re laying the foundation for a new generation of microrobots,” added Shahsavan. “With more development, these smart could autonomously navigate environments.”
It’s always the combination of seemingly fanciful research like this along with incremental industry-driven innovations that continually advance machine designs and engineering.
Lisa Eitel
linkedin.com/in/elisabetheitel
Filed Under: DIGITAL ISSUES • DESIGN WORLD