A group of researchers at the Korean Institute of Machinery & Materials have finally done the impossible: they've reinvented the wheel.
Well, sort of.
The variable-stiffness-morphing wheel, as it's known, is still essentially a circle. Most of the time, anyway. As explained in a recent paper published in the journal of Science Robotics:
Lee et al. developed a wheel with adjustable stiffness that can be changed in real time, taking on a rigid, circular shape on flat ground and a soft, deformable shape for rolling over large obstacles. A smart chain structure along the outside of the wheel connects to a center hub via a spoke structure. The tension in the spokes can be adjusted to adapt the wheel stiffness, allowing the wheels to move across a variable terrain.
What makes this wheel different from, well, just a really deflated wheel is that it's still able to retain some rigidity. As Reuters explains:
Inspired by the surface tension of water droplets, it goes from solid to fluid when it encounters impediments.
[…]
Wheels developed for a similar purpose such as non-pneumatic or airless tires have flexibility but are limited in their ability to overcome obstacles, said Song, who is a member of KIMM's AI robotics research team.
The morphing wheel consists of an outer hoop of a chain and a series of spoke wires running through the hub. The stiffness of the spokes – and hence the wheel – is automatically regulated by a sensor as it reacts to the terrain.
In early trials, this morphing wheel has been able to "roll" up a series of 18cm-high steps. Which is admittedly pretty cool, and suggests a lot of potentially life-changing uses—for human mobility, and for robots. At least that leaves one part of Robocop that might not come to pass.
Previously:
• Wheel of Fortune contestant goes viral for hilariously inappropriate guess
