Growing robot design and application
Growing robots (or vine robots) that achieve locomotion by extending from their tip, are inherently compliant and can safely navigate through constrained environments that prove challenging for traditional robots. However, there remain many challenges with functionalizing these robots, including integrating a working channel, creating steering mechanisms, and miniaturization.
Recent relevant papers:
J. Davy, N. Greenidge, S. Kim, L.J. Tinsley, P. Lloyd, J.H. Chandler, R.A. Harris, T.K. Morimoto, and P. Valdastri. "Vine Robots with Magnetic Skin for Surgical Navigations." IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2024).
C. Girerd, A. Alvarez, E.W. Hawkes, and T.K. Morimoto. "Material Scrunching Enables Working Channels in Miniaturized Vine-Inspired Robots." IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2024.