Natural born movers: the plants that are inspiring robotic limbs
To replicate the wonders of the human hand, researchers in the field of “soft robotics” are trying to design artificial structures made from flexible, compliant materials that can be controlled and programmed by computers. Designers seeking to make their structures move are finding inspiration from a surprising source: the study of movement in plants. As Daniel Rayneau-Kirkhope explains in this issue, one strange-looking plant – the Cape sundew – could hold the key to soft, robotic limbs. Also this month: an interview with Nobel laureate James Peebles, the cosmic challenge for supercomputers and a conversation with Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s astronomer royal.
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