FYI : Tube Robot Looks Really Useful

[hutchphd]

TL;DR

I am totally surprised by the simplicity and potential utility of this soft robot.

Perhaps this is old news but that would be self-descriptive. How long has this been around? I want to build one today.


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[Baluncore]

Summary:: I am totally surprised by the simplicity and potential utility of this soft robot.

How long has this been around? I want to build one today.

The principle of inserting a thin folded tube without friction has been around for at least half a billion years.
The nematocysts of jellyfish or sea anemonies are examples. Barbs and toxin on the inside become external after the explosive deployment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnidocyte#Structure_and_function

Start your experiments with a bicycle inner tube and compressed air.

 

[DaveE]

The principle of inserting a thin folded tube without friction has been around for at least half a billion years.
The nematocysts of jellyfish or sea anemonies are examples. Barbs and toxin on the inside become external after the explosive deployment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnidocyte#Structure_and_function

Start your experiments with a bicycle inner tube and compressed air.

"When the trigger is activated, the tubule shaft of the cnidocyst is ejected and, in the case of the penetrant nematocyst, the forcefully ejected tubule penetrates the target organism. This discharge takes a few microseconds, and is able to reach accelerations of about 40,000 g.[1][2] Recent research suggests the process occurs in as little as 700 nanoseconds, thus reaching an acceleration of up to 5,410,000 g.[3]"

OK, kind of off-topic. But, 5,410,000g !

 

[Tom.G]

...thus reaching an acceleration of up to 5,410,000 g.[3]

The deformation would be something to see in a high-speed imaging of that!

 

[Baluncore]

The deformation would be something to see in a high-speed imaging of that!

Here are the best pictures. All the numbers are well off the normal scale.
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822(06)01422-9

Also, on page 4 of this is a diagram showing the long thin tube that is everted to inject the tube and reveal the barbs. We can learn a lot by looking at natural solutions.
https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/~/media/D...dent+resources/specialised-stinging-cells.pdf

 

[hutchphd]

"everted"...great word