Scientists create robots from rice paper

Edible material offers new applications for robotics

Researchers from the University of Bristol made robots from rice paper used in Vietnamese spring rolls (University of Bristol)

Scientists have discovered how to build robots out of rice paper, opening up brand new possibilities for robotic applications.

A team from the University of Bristol discovered that the same ingredient used in Vietnamese spring rolls could rival the strength and softness of silicon – the material typically used in soft robotics.

Rice paper has the additional advantage of being biodegradable, non-toxic, and even edible.

“Our research opens the door for anyone to experiment, create, and innovate in soft robotics – right from their own home in a sustainable way,” said Christine Braganza from Bristol’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.

“It also provides researchers with a fresh approach to prototyping and is promising technology for agricultural and reforestation applications, like reseeding in hard-to-reach areas.”

Other early applications noted by the team include culinary uses, with the team now hoping to build a robot from the material that can move by itself.

The emerging field of soft robotics has seen a number of breakthroughs in recent months, including a four-legged machine capable of walking immediately after being 3D-printed.

The soft robot is attached to air and then walks off the machine which made it (Maks Gepner/Edinburgh University/PA)

The researchers behind last month’s advance, who are based at Edinburgh University, said the design overcomes the limitations in scalable manufacturing that have prevented the widespread adoption of soft robotics.

Soft robotic technologies hold the potential to transform various fields, including biomedicine, nuclear decommissioning and space exploration.

The materials used in their production make them more adaptable to different environments, while also being self-healing in some instances.

The latest rice paper robots were detailed in a paper, titled ‘Sustainable fabrication of biodegradable soft robotic actuators’, published in the Proceeding of the 2024 IEEE 7th International Conference on Soft Robotics.