Soft Robotics - Week 9 (03/21/2025)

Bio-Inspiration

Right before spring break we spent some time thinking about soft robots (and mechanisms) in the world that are inspired by the biosphere, whether that is plant based, animals, or insects.

Below are some speculations of biological phenomena that have soft robotic potential.

Mimosa Pudica

Also known as the sensitive plant, shy plant, shame plant. If it was not already obvious, this plant conceals itself when responding to mechanical stimuli

The leaves of the plant are lined with tiny hairs that are highly responsive to touch, temperature, and motion, folding inwards when triggered. The plant also closes its leaves at night. This response, called thigmomorphogenesis, is part of the plant’s natural defense mechanism. This reflex may have evolved as a defense mechanism to disincentivize predators, or alternatively to shade the plant in order to reduce water loss due to evaporation.

My first instinct for this phenomenon was to create a gripper that is triggered based on touch, however, that seems rather inefficient and potentially counter intuitive. Then I thought about sensitive structures that need to be stretched out but need to retract under turbulent conditions. A sensor of some sort

Other plant and animal life that have similar reactive tendencies:

1. Human eyelashes
2. Venus flytrap