Behind GrowHR is a team from the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen. Their initial idea is simple: rather than stacking rigid pieces, why not copy what nature has been doing for millions of years? Human bones are neither full nor uniform, but combine rigidity, flexibility and lightness as needed.
A humanoid inspired (really) by the human body
This is exactly the principle that GrowHR follows. Its “skeleton” is made up of expandable, bone-inspired connections capable of extending or contracting in a controlled manner. Inside, there are flexible chambers that deploy, taut cables to guide the movement and rigid elements to maintain good overall stability. A non-stretch textile layer prevents uncontrolled deformation, while a synchronized cable system ensures even extension.
Result: each segment can stretch up to 315% of its initial size. And since each link only weighs around 350 grams, the robot has a total weight of only 4.5 kilos. Suffice to say that we are far from the massive and somewhat clumsy humanoids that we often come across in robotics demonstrations. For researchers, this approach allows us to go beyond the usual limits: rigid robots are solid but they have difficulty adapting to situations, while “soft” robots often lack precision. GrowHR attempts to combine the best of both worlds.
In practice, GrowHR can do almost everything. It can almost triple its size to reach 1.36 meters, but also make itself very small: its height can decrease by 36% and its width by 61%, which allows it to slip into very narrow passages. An obvious asset for search and rescue missions, for example in collapsed buildings.
By combining joint motors and extendable structures, the robot also moves with great efficiency. In crawling mode, it advances at more than 112 mm per minute, a performance far superior to that of robots which rely on a single type of locomotion. Researchers speak of a movement more than a thousand times faster than some existing solutions. Its lightness also opens up unexpected possibilities. GrowHR can float, swim, and even move on the surface of water at a speed of 16mm per second. With the help of ducted fans or mini-quadcopters, it can also take off a few meters!
🟣 To not miss any news on the WorldOfSoftware, follow us on Google and on our WhatsApp channel. And if you love us, .
