Transformable device that can switch between rigid body and soft body

摘要

The materials for transformable robots can roughly be categorized into two types, that is, rigid body and soft body. They have different features, and have merits and demerits, respectively. Robots with rigid body have high stiffness, and are suitable for carrying and holding objects. However, they may injure users if they make contact. Robots with soft body have high flexibility and can make contact safely. However, they have difficulty in retaining particular shapes and are fragile against external force. In this letter, we propose some devices that can switch between rigid body and soft body using phase change of low melting alloy to resolve the problems. We also provide some experimental results with the device to clarify the applicability of the developed devices. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.