Japanese researchers have developed a new chemical gel which makes use of ruthenium bipyridine ions and can 'walk' like an inchworm, it was revealed yesterday (28th April).

Scientists at the Shuji Hashimoto applied physics laboratory at Waseda University in Tokyo developed the motile gel by combining polymers which have the ability to change in size.

An oscillating process known as the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction sees the polymers grow and shrink in response to the ruthenium ions and create a material which moves without electronic stimulation.

Lead researcher Shino Maeda explained that the development is significant because the 'self-organising' chemical systems could replace their mechanical counterparts in certain electronics-based tasks.

He told New Scientist: "In previous work, the displacement of the mechanical oscillation of the gel was very small in comparison with the gel size.

"Mechanical systems need complex fabricated circuits or external control devices because the mechanical motion is driven by on-off switching of external signals."

The results of the tests, which appear in the journal Advanced Robotics, also suggest that processes such as the BZ reaction could be used to manufacture some components of robots in the future.

Mr Maeda and his colleagues are currently working to develop a gel which can lie flat on a normal surface but move in a peristaltic motion as its polymers alternately lose and gain electrons during the reaction.

Source:

Chemical 'caterpillar' points to electronics-free robots (28/04/09)