Virginia Tech researchers control soft robotics with ‘AI’s cousin’: ‘Reservoir computing’
Soft robotics – machines made of flexible, muscle-like materials – can bend and stretch in fluid ways that put the rigid robots of old sci-fi movies to shame. But the flexibility that lets them pick ripe tomatoes or navigate a search-and-rescue site comes at a cost: soft robotics are notoriously difficult to control. Virginia Tech […]
The development of 'reservoir computing' offers a promising new approach to overcome the traditional control challenges of soft robotics, which are increasingly critical for delicate manipulation tasks.
This breakthrough could unlock broader applications for soft robotics in fields demanding adaptability and precision, such as agriculture and search-and-rescue, enhancing automation capabilities.
The ability to reliably control soft robots with 'AI's cousin' makes these flexible machines more viable for real-world deployment, expanding their potential use cases beyond rigid robotic systems.
- · Agricultural robotics sector
- · Search and rescue organizations
- · Virginia Tech researchers
- · AI/ML computing developers
- · Developers of entirely rigid robotic systems
Improved control mechanisms will accelerate the adoption of soft robotics in complex, unstructured environments.
The increased deployment of soft robots will drive demand for specialized AI hardware and software designed for flexible systems.
Soft robotics could revolutionize industries requiring human-like dexterity, potentially shifting labor dynamics in manual precision tasks.
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