ONLINE COVER Robust robots. The ability of robots to endure severe damage, as well as offer the possibility for repair, can enable their deployment in challenging settings. Kim et al. have developed aerial robots that can endure several punctures while sustaining controlled flight. The dielectric elastomer actuators on the robots were also designed to be repairable by using laser ablation to isolate the defects and recover their performance. This month’s cover is a photograph of the aerial robot showing one dielectric elastomer actuator pierced with fiberglass needles.
Credit: Yi-Husan Hsiao and Sampson WilcoxONLINE COVER Robust robots. The ability of robots to endure severe damage, as well as offer the possibility for repair, can enable their deployment in challenging settings. Kim et al. have developed aerial robots that can endure several punctures while sustaining controlled flight. The dielectric elastomer actuators on the robots were also designed to be repairable by using laser ablation to isolate the defects and recover their performance. This month’s cover is a photograph of the aerial robot showing one dielectric elastomer actuator pierced with fiberglass needles.
Credit: Yi-Husan Hsiao and Sampson Wilcox