Scientists at UC San Diego have built a robot that walks without electronics. They used a 3D printer to make it. This robot needs only a cartridge of compressed gas to move. The robot comes out of the 3D printer ready to go, made from one soft material.

The researchers wanted a simple, low-cost design. They used a basic desktop 3D printer and a common printing material called filament. Filament is a thin thread of plastic melted by the printer to shape objects. Each robot costs about $20 to make. This is a new way to build machines. These robots can work and perform simple tasks where electronics fail, like in areas with radiation or during space missions.

The scientists tested the robots in a lab. With a steady air supply, the robots ran for three days straight. Outside, they walked on grass, sand, and even underwater using a gas cartridge. The design uses soft, flexible materials instead of hard parts. This makes the robot light and adaptable.

A leap forward in robot design

The challenge was big: print artificial muscles and a control system from one soft material. The artificial muscles move like real muscles when air pushes them. The control system directs how the robot moves. The scientists made a six-legged robot that walks on its own. The robot’s legs move using a pneumatic oscillating circuit. This circuit is a system that controls air flow to make repeated motions, like in old steam trains. It sends air to three legs at a time, switching between sets to keep the robot walking straight.

The legs move in four directions - up, down, forward, and back. This helps the robot stay stable and move in a line. Next, the researchers want to store gas inside the robot. They also plan to use eco-friendly materials. They worked with BASF, a company, to test soft materials for printing.

A paper published in Advanced Intelligent Systems describes the robot, and a video shows it in action.