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Daily News Analysis

Soft Robot Actuators

14th August, 2021 Science and Technology

Context

  • Using porous carbon nanoparticles from waste onion peels, a team of scientists have developed soft robotic actuators.

 

Actuator 

  • An "actuator" can be defined as a device that converts energy (in robotics, that energy tends to be electrical)into physical motion. 

 

About

  • Soft robots or actuators consisting of rubber-like polymer with embedded nanomaterial, which convert a source of energy to mechanical motion  have been gaining much interest with targeted applications in areas, including bio-medical, military, and remote space operations.
  • Generation of predesigned motion facilitated by their flexibility, affordability, and easy customisation are the main reasons for such interest.
  • The actuators can act as efficient traps for illuminating low-power near-infrared (NIR) light and can convert a control signal into mechanical motion with bioengineering applications such as drug delivery, wearable and assistive devices, prostheses, and even artificial organs.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/soft-robots-waste-onion-peels-dst-7450800/lite/