Soft robotics

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/soft-robotics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core design philosophy?Emphasizes the use of compliant materials to achieve intrinsic safety and adaptability
2. What is the dominant actuation technologies?Pneumatic and hydraulic systems, electroactive polymers (EAPs), and shape memory alloys (SMAs)
3. What are squishy robots?They are robots made from soft, flexible materials like gels and elastomers that can bend and wiggle instead of clanking.
4. How do squishy robots move?They use air or liquid inside tiny channels that inflate or deflate, making the robot bend or twist, just like muscles.

Compliant Materials: Materials exhibiting elastic properties, allowing them to deform under load and return to their original shape.
Actuation: The process of converting stored energy into mechanical motion or force to drive a system.
Biomimetics: The study and emulation of biological structures and processes for engineering and design solutions.