soft robot

A robot made from highly compliant materials, similar to those found in living organisms, they're considered "soft" because they can move and adapt to their surroundings better than a traditional "hard" metal robot.

Historical perspective: Scientists have created super-flexible artificial muscles that enable soft robots to lift objects 1,000 times their own weight. That is the rough equivalent, reports ScienceDaily.com, of a duck lifting a car. The unprecedented strength of these artificial muscles is tied to their inner skeletons, which were inspired by origami. Each skeleton, which is made of materials such as a plastic or metal coil, is surrounded by air or fluid and sealed in a plastic or fabric “skin.” When this air or fluid is suctioned out with a vacuum, the skeleton is compressed, causing it to curl, twist, or fold into a specific shape. Suddenly, soft robots are far stronger than rigid ones made of metal. The origami-inspired muscles can be made in a matter of minutes, using materials that typically cost less than $1. The creators say the technology will have a wide range of uses, from surgery to space exploration.