EPFL researchers have incorporated waste crustacean shells into robotic systems, harnessing the natural material’s durability and flexibility to enhance robotic performance.
While many roboticists draw inspiration from nature, they typically build even biologically inspired robots from artificial materials such as metals, plastics, and composites. A new experimental robotic manipulator from EPFL’s Computational Robot Design and Fabrication Lab (CREATE Lab), however, reverses this norm by using two langoustine abdomen exoskeletons as its key components.
Though unconventional at first glance, CREATE Lab director Josie Hughes notes that blending biological materials with engineered parts offers major opportunities—not only for improving robotics, but also for advancing sustainable technological practices.
Natural Exoskeletons Power Circular, Flexible Robotics Systems
“Exoskeletons fuse hardened shells with flexible joint membranes, creating a mix of stiffness and elasticity that lets each segment move on its own. These properties support the quick, high-torque motions crustaceans make in water, and they can be equally advantageous in robotic systems. By reusing food waste, we introduce a sustainable, circular design approach in which materials can be recycled and repurposed for new applications.”
In a study featured in Advanced Science, Hughes and her team showcase three robotic systems created by strengthening and enhancing langoustine abdomen exoskeletons with engineered parts: a manipulator capable of lifting items up to 500 grams, flexible grippers that can curl and hold different objects, and a robot designed for swimming.
Create, Use, Recycle, and Start Again
The CREATE Lab aimed to combine the durable yet flexible qualities of langoustine exoskeletons with the accuracy and long-term reliability of engineered parts.
To do this, they inserted an elastomer into the natural shell to actuate each segment, then attached the structure to a motorized platform that could adjust how stiff it became during bending and stretching. They also added a silicone layer around the exoskeleton to strengthen it and prolong its usable life.
When fixed to the motorized base, the device can position objects of up to 500 g within a designated area. Used in pairs as grippers, two exoskeletons are capable of handling items of various shapes and sizes—from a highlighter to a tomato. The same approach can also drive a swimming robot, using two exoskeletal “fins” to reach speeds of around 11 cm per second.
After operation, the exoskeleton can be detached from its robotic base, and most of the synthetic parts can be used again. “As far as we know, this is the first demonstration of incorporating food waste into a robotic platform that emphasizes sustainable design, reuse, and recycling,” notes CREATE Lab researcher and lead author Sareum Kim.
Managing Biological Variability with Advanced Synthetic-Robotic Integration
A key limitation of the method is the inherent variability of biological materials; for instance, each langoustine tail has a slightly different geometry, causing the two-pronged gripper to bend unevenly. The team explains that overcoming this will require more sophisticated synthetic enhancements, such as adjustable control systems. With these advancements, they envision future technologies that fuse biologically derived structures with robotics, potentially benefiting fields like biomedical implants or environmental monitoring systems.
“While nature doesn’t always provide the perfect design, it still surpasses many man-made systems and offers powerful inspiration for creating effective machines based on its refined principles,” Hughes adds.
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
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