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- When two surfaces rub against each other, they create a very distinct sound and vibration. That鈥檚 what we want the robot to navigate by, so it can operate on terrains where wheels and legs fail.

The goal is to develop an autonomous, snake-like soft robot capable of navigating complex and unknown environments where traditional wheeled or legged robots often give up 鈥� such as rock fissures, collapsed buildings, or narrow pipes.

Can listen to its own movement

The robot will be constructed from flexible 鈥渕etamaterials鈥� inspired by traditional paper-folding and cutting techniques known as origami and kirigami.

This enables the robot to dynamically adjust both its body shape and the structure of its skin, allowing it to actively control friction with the ground.

Ultimately, the robot should be able to move like a snake 鈥� an animal that employs a multitude of locomotion modes, offering exceptional flexibility and versatility for navigating complex terrains.

While conventional robots rely on cameras and light, the research team in Odense is taking a different path. They want to equip the robot with a sense that works just as well in pitch-black crevices as on open plains.

- When the robot moves across sand, ice, or gravel, the friction creates a unique vibro-acoustic signature. By endowing the robot鈥檚 鈥榮kin鈥� with the ability to perceive these subtle interactions, it can effectively listen to its own movement. Over time, the robot will learn to adapt its gait in real time based on the friction cues it interprets 鈥� much like a snake adjusting to its habitat, Rafsanjani explains.

Intelligence is folded in paper

This is where origami and kirigami come into play. To change form and motion quickly enough, the project draws inspiration from ancient paper art. By cutting and folding the material in precise patterns, the robot gains a kind of 鈥減hysical intelligence.鈥�

This means that complex movements are built directly into the material鈥檚 structure instead of relying on heavy motors or large amounts of computational power.

- By designing the folding patterns correctly, a simple stretch of the material can transform into a wave-like motion through the entire body. We reduce the burden on the computer by letting the material do the work, says Rafsanjani.
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Curiosity drives the project

Although the technology has obvious applications in rescue missions, pipeline inspection, or even medical procedures inside the human body, Rafsanjani is also looking to the stars.

- NASA is considering snake robots for exploring Saturn’s moon Enceladus, so that’s another example of where this technology could end up.

He emphasises, however, that the ERC grant is primarily intended to support scientific excellence. The goal is to understand the physics of friction and movement before venturing into real-world applications.

- Today, there’s often pressure for research to result in a market-ready product immediately. But we must remember to value curiosity-driven science — the so-called ‘blue-sky science’. This is where we produce the knowledge that will one day enable technologies we cannot even imagine today, he concludes.