Mimicking Adaptation and Plasticity in WORMS

ongoing

Traditionally, a robot is a machine controlled by a central unit and used to perform specific tasks automatically, often in a structured environment. MAPWORMS aims at challenging this traditional concept by proposing robots inspired by simplified forms of Marine Annelida, able to performtasks in response to environmental stimuli and to adapt to the environment with a shape-morphing strategy. Smart shape-memory hydrogels, able to respond to different stimuli (ion species, chemicals, light, pH, etc.), represent the building blocks in this new generation of morphing robots. By combining smart reactive hydrogels with nonreactive elements, actuation units able to transduce stiffness variation into geometrical changes will be developed. In the proposed endeavour, biology is the inspiration for simplifying principles to deal with a complex world, material science is the foundation for giving the body its proper role in shaping behaviour, mathematical modelling is the way to describe biological mechanisms to provide hints and laws for the artificial counterpart. Robotics and engineering aim at providing tools to quantitatively and functionally study biology, to bring innovative materials from chemistry labs to working systems, and to provide general purpose actuators and adapting machines. With a team of 6 partners (including 2 SMEs) in 4 years, MAPWORMS intends to: 1) study adaptation and plasticity of the body plan in Marine Annelida and shed light on the specialization process that allowed forms appeared early in the evolution of the Phylum to adapt to different environments; 2) develop a mathematical model of Annelida plasticity and adaptation to the environment through burrowing, protrusion of parts of their bodies, and morphological changes; 3) develop smart soft materials embodying responsivity, shape morphing and self-healing capabilities, and based on DNA components; 4) develop bio-inspired modular shape morphing robots across the scale.