Plants as inspiration for material-based sensing and actuation in soft robots and machines

Abstract: Because plants are considered immobile, they remain underrepresented as concept generators for soft robots and soft machines. However, plants show a great variety of movements exclusively based on elastic deformation of regions within their moving organs. The absence of gliding parts, as found in the joints of vertebrates and insects, prevents stress concentration and attrition. Since plants have no central control unit (brain), stimulus-sensing, decision-making and reaction usually take place noncentrally in the hierarchically structured materials systems of the moving organs, in what can be regarded as an example of physical intelligence. These characteristics make plants interesting models for a new group of soft robots and soft machines that differ fundamentally from those inspired by animals. The potential of such plant-inspired soft robots and machines is shown in six examples and is illustrated by examples applied in architecture and medicine

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: MRS bulletin. - 48, 7 (2023) , 730-745, ISSN: 1938-1425

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2023
• Creator: Speck, Thomas ; Cheng, Tiffany ; Klimm, Frederike ; Menges, Achim ; Poppinga, Simon ; Speck, Olga ; Tahouni, Yasaman ; Tauber, Falk ; Thielen, Marc
• Contributor: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Botanischer Garten ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Freiburger Zentrum für interaktive Werkstoffe und bioinspirierte Technologien

Further information

• DOI: 10.1557/s43577-022-00470-8
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2333344
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:53 PM CET