Tufts University to develop chemical robots

Tufts University has received federal funding in order to pursue a project that is aimed at creating chemical robots. The robots will be able to squeeze into very small spaces and will expand (up to 10x bigger) when in a more open environment. They will also be biodegradable for after they are no longer needed.

Such a creation would be very beneficial for public service programs, which have many jobs that are often very risky for humans. That is the reason why the government wants to see it happen and is why $3.3 million have been offered by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In addition to the money, the government has been investing in such projects for years.

If Tufts or any institution is successful in creating the robots it could mean hundreds of lives and injuries reduced a year. The plan is to equip these robots with a plethora of functions so that they can do dangerous jobs without too much human intervention. Tasks the robots will be able to do include climb trees, follow cables and wires, and enter tight spaces. If everything works out the robots will also be very useful to the armed forces.

Not only will the machines be able to complete a wide array of tasks, but they will also be energy efficient and innocuous to the environment. It seems a bit out of this world doesn’t it? But, the scientists at Tufts believe it is possible and the government seems to have good reason to believe them, so maybe the future is just nearer than we all think.