Italian scientists have built a robot with the shape of a seed and with the ability to explore the soil based on humidity changes. Based on a type of geranium, it is made of biodegradable materials and is able to move within the surrounding environment without requiring batteries or other external sources of energy. The I-Seed is the first 3D-printed seed-robot, and was created at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology).
The artificial seed is capable of transforming itself and moving around the environment autonomously, and may find applications in various fields, from environmental monitoring to reforestation. The European I-Seed project I-Seed, coordinated by IIT, creates innovative robots inspired by plant seeds and able to act as sensors for monitoring soil quality parameters including the presence of pollutants such as mercury - as well as CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity.
The first I-Seed is inspired by the seed structure of a South African geranium, the Pelargonium appendiculatum, whose ability to change shape in reaction to variations in humidity in the surrounding environment, the so-called hygromorphic structure, is replicated in it. The researchers replicated the seed design by using and combining 3D printing and electrospinning techniques. The biodegradable and energy-autonomous robots will be used as wireless, battery-free tools for surface soil exploration and monitoring.