Dutch Scientists Create a Robot Powered by Air

A group of Dutch scientists at the AMOLF Institute in Amsterdam discovered a way to build a robot that is operated by air rather than computer software or firmware. The robot does not receive commands and has no “brain” or control center. Simply put, the air that flows through the tubes within the robot dictates where it goes and what it does. The physics behind the innovative creation is compared to the dancing inflatable tubes often seen outside car dealerships. The way the air moves through the tubes leads to a repetitive motion that makes them move and bend, as if dancing.

What Can the Robot Do?

The first robot built by the scientists had four legs. But it was too heavy and required too much battery power to successfully operate. A second robot had only two legs, making it much lighter and easier to power with a smaller battery and a continuous stream of air. The legs make sense of the airflow and start working together to move in a synchronized and coordinated way.

“There’s no code, no instructions. The legs simply fall into sync spontaneously, and the robot takes off. Suddenly, order emerges from chaos,” said Alberto Comoretto, one of the authors of the study.

The robot can walk, run, and swim at high speeds. Once synchronized, the machine can move 30 body lengths in one second. It can adjust to uneven terrain; when it hits a wall, it can figure out how to turn or change position to avoid getting stuck. Again, all of this happens without a brain or computer programs. There are no commands or a control center. The programming required for a robot using computer technology would be extremely intricate and much more complicated.

What Do the Scientists Plan to Do Next?

Anytime a discovery takes place, there is always a need or desire to take it a step further. This robot is no exception. The scientists now want to find a way to control the robot’s behavior. They want it to remain an air-powered machine but would like to be able to give it commands and to control where it goes.

“Now when it hits a wall, it starts to turn left. If it lands in water, it starts to swim backwards. We didn’t come up with that — it just happens,” Johannes Overvelde, co-author of the study and an AMOLF researcher, said. “We understand the system but need a better grasp of how to design specific functionalities.”

This group of scientists is also working on a soft, artificial heart. It would interact with a human body and bloodstream; without a computer chip, it would not require software updates to continue working. This has the potential to be a medical breakthrough greatly helping patients with heart issues.

1. Dutch scientists have developed a robot that is operated by air rather than computer software or firmware.
2. The robot can walk, run, and swim at high speeds.
3. The scientists are working on a soft, artificial heart that would interact with a human body and bloodstream.