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A soft robot developed by GE Research won a $2.5 million prize from DARPA’s Underminer program. This program is designed to quickly excavate tunnels in a military environment.
To this end, GE Research has created a giant soft robot that is biologically inspired and allows it to progress slowly like a giant mechanical earthworm. Robotic muscles are designed to mimic the hydrostatic skeleton, a fluid-filled structure found in invertebrates. This robot has an artificial muscle that plays a big role when moving forward, making it possible to adapt to various underground environments. This design provides a degree of freedom for various movements while accompanying the ability to intrude into a narrow space.
Another key to success is incorporating suitable sensors that can function autonomously underground. Because controlling the robot remotely in this situation can be difficult. The research team explains that since the tunnel system is located underground, it must include a function that can detect movement autonomously in order for the robot to move to an appropriate location and dig a tunnel. For this, the research team gathered experts in control and AI sensing and integrated new functions.
Of course, there is a long way to go to the completion of this project. The final goal is a robot that excavates a 500m tunnel at 10cm per second. The video was shot at 4 times the actual speed. Related information can be found here .
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