iRobot Unveils Morphing Blob Robot (w/ Video)

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iRobot Unveils Morphing Blob Robot (w/ Video)

The blob bot uses a jamming mechanism to change its shape and roll, enabling it to squeeze into small spaces. Credit: iRobot.

(PhysOrg.com) -- iRobot's latest robot is unique on many levels. The doughy blob moves by inflating and deflating - a new technique its developers call "jamming." As the researchers explain in the video below, the jamming mechanism enables the robot to transition from a liquid-like to a solid-like state.

Earlier this week, researchers from iRobot and the University of Chicago presented the new "blob bot" at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

As a new kind of chemical robot (or chembot), the blob bot has stretchy silicone skin, which is composed of multiple cellular compartments that each contain a "jammable slurry." When some ...

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