Autonomous robot discovers toughest structure known

A robotics laboratory BEAR. Image source: Boston University

According to a report on the website of the British "New Scientist" magazine on August 29, a robotics laboratory in the United States has discovered the toughest structure known so far. The laboratory can carry out 50 experiments a day without human supervision, manufacturing and test the mechanical structure. The latest research is expected to accelerate the discovery of new materials, and related papers have been submitted to a preprint website.

Boston University researchers say that in this latest study, they used an autonomous robotic laboratory called the Bayesian Experimental Autonomy Researcher (BEAR) to discover the most energy-absorbing material structure known to date.

BEAR consists of five 3D printers, a set of scales, a testing machine, a robotic arm and a computer vision system to move the samples. Among them, the 3D printer can create seven different plastics, and the testing machine can compress the structure made of plastic and measure its response. The research team uses it to design mechanical structures and conduct tests, and then uses all the test results that have been obtained to design and test other structures.

BEAR can carry out 50 experiments per day and has conducted more than 25,000 experiments so far. Although BEAR can operate completely autonomously, during the testing process, the team intervened, such as telling BEAR at which point the sample would break, or adjusting the temperature during the manufacturing process.

The study found that a structure called Willow performed best when made from PLA polyester, with an average energy absorption efficiency of 73.3%, beating the previous record of balsa wood, the highest energy absorption rate researchers could find. According to records, the latter's energy absorption efficiency is 71.8%.

Energy absorption efficiency is a measure of the toughness or elasticity of a structure, and what percentage of mechanical energy it can absorb without failure. Protective structures, such as foam in bicycle helmets or metal in the crumple zones of cars, tend to have high energy absorption efficiencies, so the mechanical energy from a collision is not transferred to the person, thus avoiding possible injuries.

(Source: Science and Technology Daily)

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