Harvard’s Octobot is pneumatic-based, meaning it is powered by gas under

pressure. A reaction inside the bot transforms a small amount of liquid fuel
(hydrogen peroxide) into a large amount of gas, which flows into the Octobot’s arms
and inflates them like a balloon. The reaction is controlled by a 3D-printed
microfluidic logic circuit – described as a “soft analogue of a simple electronic
oscillator” – which controls when hydrogen peroxide decomposes to gas.
“Fuel sources for soft robots have always relied on some type of rigid components,”
said Michael Wehner, a postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute and in the Wood lab
and co-first author of the paper. “The wonderful thing about hydrogen peroxide is
that a simple reaction between the chemical and a catalyst — in this case platinum
— allows us to replace rigid power sources.”

“THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS SIMPLE TO FABRICATE, BY

COMBINING THREE FABRICATION METHODS – SOFT
LITHOGRAPHY, MOULDING AND 3D PRINTING,” SAID
RYAN TRUBY, A GRADUATE STUDENT IN LEWIS’S
LAB, AND A CO-AUTHOR OF THE PAPER. “WE CAN
QUICKLY MANUFACTURE THESE DEVICES.”