Scientists develop soft robotic actuators using porous carbon nanoparticles from waste onion peels

What is the News?

A team of Indian Scientists have developed soft robotic actuators using porous carbon nanoparticles from waste onion peels.

What are Soft Robots or Actuators?

• Soft robots or actuators is the specific subfield of robotics dealing with constructing robots from highly compliant materials similar to those found in living organisms.
• Soft robotics draws heavily from the way in which living organisms move and adapt to their surroundings. 
• In contrast to robots built from rigid materials, soft robots allow for increased flexibility and adaptability for accomplishing tasks, as well as improved safety when working around humans.
• These characteristics allow for the potential use of soft robotics in the fields of medicine and manufacturing.

What scientists have developed?

• Scientists have developed soft robotic actuators with enhanced photomechanical capacity. It was developed using porous carbon nanoparticles from waste onion peels.
• These soft robots can act as efficient traps for the illuminating low-power near-infrared (NIR) light. They can also convert a control signal into mechanical motion with bioengineering applications such as drug delivery, wearable and assistive devices, prostheses, and even artificial organs.