Soft robots are shedding their inability to work without hard electronics. In a seemingly mind-blowing invention, hard electronics will soon be replaced by pneumatic computer memory. The researchers at UC Riverside made use of this to help a soft robot play the piano.
In place of the wired circuits and transistors, the new memory takes the help of microfluidic valves that control the flow of air. The binary “0” is represented by atmospheric pressure in the valve while “1” is indicated by vacuum. This memory almost functions like an 8-bit RAM chip, good enough to play a simple tune at a steady pace. There is also no fear of explosion because of the absence of positive pressure.
This technology still needs to be worked on. It has to be improved in terms of complexity and speed. Soft robots need softer versions of processors to remove their hard electronics. Pneumatic memory will help to reduce the need for chips and will help to build a future of flexible robotics incapable of hurting people in case of collision.
