The world of robotics is getting more and more interesting. We’re not only seeing shape-shifting robots, but also soft robots that can melt after they’re done. Scientists in South Korea have developed another self-destructing robot that melts away without leaving a trace when its work is done.
Researchers say they’ve spent nearly two years working on the materials they need to develop a self-destructing robot that can melt away without a trace. It is believed that the soft robots they designed are versatile and allow them to work in multiple scenarios. Soft robots effectively disappear by dissolving into liquid form after their job is done.
Like other soft robots of similar designs, these specialized soft robots will likely be useful for military-based surveillance missions, reconnaissance, and even transporting sensitive data that can be integrated into them. Melting down can make it easier for the robot to protect its data and destroy it if it falls into the wrong hands.
One of the problems faced by such robots is that since they rely on thermoplastic elastomers to melt, they can be easily put together using polyurethane. However, these newly designed robots use built-in UV LEDs that initiate the heating process. After less than two hours, the robot melts completely, leaving an oily residue behind.
The researchers say the design is designed to be “highly deformable” and “fully degradable.” The whole point of such a self-destructing robot is to make sure it cannot be recovered once it melts, and this particular design seems to meet those standards.
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