A robotic hug For Jellies
How does one capture a very delicate animal such as the jelly? The research conducted at Harvard University in Cambridge lead by Nina Sinatra has the answer.
They engineered a robot that mimics a human hand to capture delicate Jellies whose body is 95% water, slippery, and very soft. This robot, which they presented on August 28th, 2019, can capture a Jelly using its soft foamy fingers in a hug like motion. Before researchers were forced to use their own hands, which the jelly could slip from or use nets that could harm the incredibly delicate, and fragile tissue, or worse, robots made to capture other brittle sea animals such as sea cucumber would tear jellies apart.
The problem with capturing jellies without hurting them was an obstacle to fascinating scientific research. So far, Jellies have helped us learn vital information such as techniques to study microscopic organisms and macro-molecules with Green Fluorescence Tag microscopy. In this method, green fluorescence protein is extracted from jellies and used to dye parts of the cell and study vital information such as gene expression.
Jellies Have the potential to teach us far more, as they have many abilities that could be of assistance to us. For example, Jellies can reverse their aging process, and that is one of the things that humanity has been trying to reach since its beginning, leading to legends or stories such as “fountain of youth.”
Now this robot’s impressive structure can help open the door to opportunities that jellies hold for us. The machine incorporates a 3D printed palm that has the shape of a rectangular box with six fingers made of soft rubbery silicone attached. The fingers have a more rigid side made of nanofibers and channels of water that go through the fingers. When the jelly is in contact, the robot pumps water into the fingers, which causes them to bend on the more on, the stiffer side and close in the jelly.
This foamy robot is a step to further discoveries for a brighter future. The abilities of this robot can give scientists the opportunity to study more fragile and hard to capture marine animals. In addition, using robots similar to this to collect specimen can reduce potential harm to animals and make research more friendly.
Zahra Ghodsi
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