During the European Robotics Week, at the Science Museum in London we’ll meet swimming, flapping or crawling robots mimicking real animals.
The EU-funded STIFF-FLOP project will be showing a robotic arm inspired by the softness and agility of an elephant’s trunk and by the octopus’ ability to find food by exploring small cavities in rocks.
This robotic arm could be used in keyhole surgery, as it is able to adjust its texture and stiffness to organs inside the human body; it can soften to get through narrow passages and then stiffen again when needed avoiding damage to soft tissue. It also has a gripper at the edge and is able to learn and develop how to manipulate soft objects in the human body, through interaction with a human instructor. This project could make keyhole surgery safer and minimise post-operative pain and scarring.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw5FTrqN2Ro]
The consortium led by King’s College London is made up of researchers from the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, The Netherlands and Israel and supported by the European Commission 7.4m euros out of a total estimated cost of 9.6 m euros). Find out more here.
Exhibition Times
Friday 29 November 11.00-14.15 (last entry)
Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December 10-17.15 For free tickets call 0870 870 4868 or visit in person at any of the Museum’s ticket desks.
Wednesday 27 November at Lates, the Science Museum’s free night for adults, 18.45-21.15 Robot SafariEU at Lates is free entry, no tickets required.
Comments are closed.