The first biodegradable seed robot, able to change shape in response to humidity

A robot with the shape of a seed and with the ability to explore the soil based on humidity changes. It is made of biodegradable materials and able to move within the surrounding environment without requiring batteries or other external sources of energy. These are the main features of the first I-Seed, the first artificial seed-robot created at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa, by the researchers of Bioinspired Soft Robotics (BSR) Lab coordinated by Barbara Mazzolai, in collaboration with the University of Trento. The artificial seed is the only prototype worldwide capable of transforming itself and moving around the environment autonomously, and may find applications in various fields, from environmental monitoring to reforestation. The research result has been published in Advanced Science and featured on its last issue’s cover; it  originates from the European project I-Seed, coordinated by IIT.