Researchers Develop FiloBot, a Snake-like Robot that 3D Prints its Own Body to Grow

The robot, which can grow in a vine-like manner, could be used to monitor or interact with unstructured environments and test pollution levels in hard-to-reach areas.

• Researchers at the Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, in Italy, and the University of Montpellier, in France, have developed a unique type of robot named FiloBot that can 3D print its own body to grow longer.
• FiloBot is shaped like a snake and has a head that spins, creating more body mass behind it using 3D printing, resulting in elongation of the robot.
• The robot can be programmed to grow in desired ways, such as toward light, or against gravity, giving it the ability to grow in a vine-like manner.
• FiloBot has a tube inside its body that feeds the head, which contains a 3D printer ink, a type of plastic. The head then prints in a rotating fashion, coiling body material behind it.
• The researchers suggest possible uses for their robot include monitoring or even interacting with unstructured (natural) environments or building autonomous structures. It could also be used to monitor landscapes to estimate the likelihood of avalanches or landslides and test pollution levels in difficult to reach areas.

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