Silk-inspired in situ web spinning for situated robots

Abstract

Spiders and insects spin silk in situ for spatially and temporally distributed interactions with their environment. Similarly, ad hoc robotic embodiments—as leveraged to prefabricated robots with fixed boundaries—suggest a solution for increasing bodily capabilities in complex environments and tasks. We blow-spun a polymer solution into fibres that anchored and adhered to supports with diverse morphologies, compliance, and electrical properties, forming single-layered unsupported webs shaped by aerodynamics and solvent evaporation. In situ spun webs augmented obstacle courses simulating anthropogenic and natural environments by providing navigable surfaces for conventional wheeled platforms. Additionally, we spun scaffolds for grippers directly onto pneumatic connectors. Ad hoc mobility extensions and end-effectors suggest potential for search and exploration. Emergent, model-free embodiment and microenvironment shaping—including development and repair—bridge robotics with nature. The inseparability of the agent from its microenvironment increases robots’ spatial and temporal adaptability and broadens our understanding of embodiment in intelligence.