Researchers have succeeded in developing a morphing structure inspired by the starfish which is flexible but also steady at the same time.
According to the researchers, the structure exhibits 4D features and can offer various applications for robotics, aviation, and medical devices.
Raman, a PhD student in the Biological Structures and Biomimetics workgroup at Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences Bremen, Germany, told Interesting Engineering that the starfish possess the remarkable ability to effortlessly hold themselves in any type of body posture.
“The key to this ability lies in their intricate skeleton, a complex network of diverse tissues,” he told IE .
The starfish’s complex structure decoded
Using advanced imaging techniques (X-ray CT scans), computational modeling (multi-body and finite element simulations), and detailed image analysis, Raman and his colleagues decoded the roles that the tissues play and how they interact.
“Our goal was to unlock the secrets of their intricate skeleton and translate those principles into a novel material with similar remarkable properties,” Raman said in a statement.
The process enabled them to show the complex 3D structure of the starfish skeleton and the fine ultrastructure of the small ossicles for the first time.
According to the press release, ossicles are calcite microstructures inside starfish bodies that are connected in a network by collagen fibres to form the endoskeleton. This strong but simple structure allows them to hold a wide variety of body postures with minimal energy use.
To translate this ingenious biological design into a new engineering material, they 3D printed a thermoplastic mesh that mimicked ossicles and collagen tissue and a silicon rubber jacket, or derma.
This unique combination gives this starfish-inspired structure “self-locking, continuous bending, self-healing, and shape memory features,” he added.
Morphing structure’s unique properties
Unlike traditional morphing structures built with stiff parts and joints, they leveraged the starfish’s design so that their structure bends smoothly and continuously, even into complex curves.
Researchers even reproduced a starfish’s ability to self-heal. If damaged, the material flows and fuses when heated above the thermoplastics melting point, effectively repairing the problem, Raman told IE .
Finally, the hand-shaped prototype enables a complex unfolding motion without the need for external motors.
A significant step, Raman says, “towards energy-efficient morphing.”
Using the starfish as a departure point and keeping the element of heat in mind, the team is imagining the technology for use in automobiles. Seats can adapt their shape to a person’s body.
It could even update surgical tools thereby reducing surgical trauma. They could be inserted in a minimally invasive form and subsequently expand and reshape themselves at the surgical site.
“A catheter could change its diameter to navigate complex blood vessels.”
Other applications include prosthetics , traditional plaster casts and splints re-shapeable with heat thus also recyclable. It’s self-locking, shape retention, and flexibility also make it ideal for transport with its ability to contract and expand.
It could even “revolutionize” spacecraft structure and emergency shelters with its self-healing properties. It could even lead to the next generation of robots.
“For instance, a search-and-rescue robot could squeeze through tight spaces to reach trapped individuals, while a robotic arm could gently grasp and manipulate fragile objects without causing damage.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGkZS3vpuy0
The next step for the team is to make this starfish-inspired morphing structure accessible and practical for daily use.
“Imagine household items that can adapt to your needs: furniture that reconfigures itself for different activities or even toys that transform into different shapes for endless play possibilities. The potential for this bio-inspired material to enhance our everyday lives is vast. We envision a future where adaptable, self-healing, and shape-changing objects are commonplace, convenient, personalized, and sustainable.”
The study is under review with Nature Scientific Reports . The research is being presented at the ‘Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference’ in Prague.
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