In the heart of a power plant, between the gears of an aircraft engine, in the depths of a bridge: there are spaces that defy all attempts at thorough inspection. Until now. A team of researchers has created a robot so thin and flexible that it could revolutionize the way we monitor and maintain our critical infrastructure.
A revolution as thin as a sheet of paper
Imagine a robot often just 1,7 millimeters. It is thinner than a coin, more flexible than a rubber band, yet strong enough to crawl, climb and even swim through the tightest of spaces. This is the TS-Robot (Thin Soft Robot), the latest innovation born in the laboratories of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre at the University of Nottingham.
Beyond the limits of traditional inspections
For decades, inspecting complex structures such as power plants, bridges, and aircraft engines has been a significant challenge. Tight spaces, hazardous environments, and complex structures have often required costly downtime or put personnel safety at risk. TS-Robots promise to change all that.
Revolutionary design for impossible inspections
What makes these robots so special is their unique structure, based on dielectric elastomers.1 These materials change shape when an electric current is applied, allowing the robots to move in surprisingly versatile ways. They can slither like snakes, climb like geckos, and even swim like eels.
Despite their tiny size, these soft robots they are anything but weak. They can generate forces up to 41 times their weight and move at speeds up to 1,16 times their body length per second. Basically, they are as strong as ants and as fast as cheetahs, proportionally speaking.
Real-world applications in complex environments
Dr. Xin Dong, principal investigator of the project (that I link to you here), emphasizes that these robots are designed to overcome the challenges that conventional robots encounter in complex environments. “Our TS-Robots are built to negotiate difficult obstacles such as narrow gaps, walls and liquids,” he explains. “Where traditional robots fail, our technology offers a new solution to explore these challenging areas.” The TS-Robots have already proven their effectiveness in initial tests. One of their key applications has been in the inspection of electric generators within advanced hybrid-electric power systems. These robots have successfully navigated the narrow air gap between the rotor and stator of a generator, an area previously inaccessible to robots and traditional tools.
A “crazy” idea that became reality
Dr. Xi Wang, another researcher involved in the project, recalls how it all started: “Three years ago, this was just a ‘crazy’ idea. Today, we have not only demonstrated a new concept for soft robots, but we have also found practical uses for them in real-world situations.” Professor Dragos Axinte, Director of Rolls-Royce UTC, sees the potential for these robots to be crucial to the future. He believes they could play a key role in inspecting and maintaining the next generation of clean power systems, helping to achieve global carbon neutrality goals.
The potential applications of TS-Robots, however, go far beyond simple inspections. They could be used to deliver medicines to precise points inside the human body, to explore extreme environments on Earth or even other planets, or to perform microscopic repairs on electronic devices. The team is working to further improve their design, exploring new materials and inspection techniques. They are also considering how to integrate these robots with other technologies, such as drones, to create even more comprehensive and versatile inspection systems.
Conclusion: Small robot, big changes
TS-Robots are more than just a technological innovation. They are a symbol of how, by thinking outside the box and challenging the limits of what is possible, we can find solutions to problems that seemed insurmountable. These tiny explorers are making their way into previously uncharted spaces, and are opening up new frontiers not only in engineering and maintenance, but also in our understanding of what is possible in the field of robotics.
- - dielectric elastomers are rubber-like polymer materials that can convert mechanical energy into electricity. They have elastic and dielectric properties that allow them to deform when subjected to mechanical forces and generate electricity in response to that deformation. These innovative materials are being studied for applications such as wave energy generation, where they could replace more complex and expensive conversion systems, offering a simpler and cheaper solution to produce electricity from marine waves. ↩︎
