Laser-Cut Scotch Tape Makes A Tiny Gripping Robotic Claw
The holiday staple/bane of gift wrappers' existence is now a water-collecting gripper. Scotch tape is indispensable this time of year, even for the least-skilled gift wrappers among us. Now it may have another use that lasts well beyond the wrapping paper frenzy: a shape-changing gripper. It turns out Scotch tape curls up when exposed to humidity, so it can be used as a water-grabbing claw. This could be used to monitor water quality, according to the scientists at Purdue who developed them. The cellulose-acetate side, the slick clear film you rub with your finger, is water-absorbent. The adhesive side you stick on wrapping paper is water-repellent. So when one side absorbs water, it expands while the other side remains the same. The result is a curled-up piece of tape. Researchers led by biomedical engineering professor Babak Ziaie machined some Scotch tape so it was one-tenth of its original thickness and sliced up...