A new type of chemical robot is on the horizon. The idea behind these is that conventional robots cannot squeeze through cracks or smaller openings, so the next logical step would be to build a “chemical robot” that could morph into whatever shape is desired–much like the T-1000 from the terminator movies, above. I’m curious to see what a prototype would look like–a ball of goo? a man shape? Some kind of hamster-ball type thing? Who knows! But it’s certainly something to keep your eye out for.

“Tufts University has received federal funding to develop chemical robots that will be able to squeeze into spaces as tiny as 1 centimeter, then morph into something 10 times larger, and ultimately biodegrade. The “chembots” could access urban environments, tunnels, caves and “debris fields, and carry out other risky operations in complex environments.”

“The robot design is inspired by the team’s findings on both the remarkable neuromechanical system of the Manduca sexta caterpillar and the extraordinary material properties of biopolymers.

The Tufts chembots will copy some of the performance capability of Manduca, including its flexibility, climbing ability and scalability – from hatching to the end of its larval stage, the caterpillar grows 10,000 fold in mass using the same number of muscles and motor neurons. Trimmer has been studying the nervous system and behavior of this caterpillar for almost two decades.”