{"title":"Large deformation analysis of the magneto-responsive beam and its applications in flexible grippers and robots","authors":"Shiyang Liu, Gongqi Cao, Yuchen Jin, Jianlin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10999-024-09708-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to their superior biocompatibility, flexibility and control strategy compared to the traditional robots, soft robots have been widely used in a wide spectrum of engineering areas, such as biomedical, exploration, aerospace, intelligent devices and other fields. However, the existing soft robot structures mainly focus on employing homogeneous materials, which greatly limits the design flexibilities of soft robots, and correspondingly, the existing theories are usually invalid for calculating heterogeneous large deformation beam models. Therefore, we developed a novel simulation method and an advanced theoretical calculation method for representing the large deformation of both the homogeneous and heterogeneous beams made of magneto-responsive materials prepared by mixing silicon rubber with NdFeB particles. We found the experimental and numerical results agree very well, showing that the heterogeneous beam can demonstrate a better driving performance than the homogeneous beam. Optimal parameters are afterwards obtained based on the developed simulation and theorical methods. Next, we generalize the optimized heterogeneous structure to engineer the flexible gripper and the soft robot. The grasping forces of the gripper are calculated based on the variational model of large deformation beams, which are consistent with the simulation and experimental values. Moreover, the motion mechanism of magnetic soft robot has been revealed through comprehensive force analysis and formulaic rigid body motion analysis. These findings have strengthened our understandings on the deformation of slender structures and the locomotion of magnetic soft robot, which are promising to guide the design and analysis of innovative devices and robots.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":593,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design","volume":"20 5","pages":"973 - 990"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10999-024-09708-6","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Due to their superior biocompatibility, flexibility and control strategy compared to the traditional robots, soft robots have been widely used in a wide spectrum of engineering areas, such as biomedical, exploration, aerospace, intelligent devices and other fields. However, the existing soft robot structures mainly focus on employing homogeneous materials, which greatly limits the design flexibilities of soft robots, and correspondingly, the existing theories are usually invalid for calculating heterogeneous large deformation beam models. Therefore, we developed a novel simulation method and an advanced theoretical calculation method for representing the large deformation of both the homogeneous and heterogeneous beams made of magneto-responsive materials prepared by mixing silicon rubber with NdFeB particles. We found the experimental and numerical results agree very well, showing that the heterogeneous beam can demonstrate a better driving performance than the homogeneous beam. Optimal parameters are afterwards obtained based on the developed simulation and theorical methods. Next, we generalize the optimized heterogeneous structure to engineer the flexible gripper and the soft robot. The grasping forces of the gripper are calculated based on the variational model of large deformation beams, which are consistent with the simulation and experimental values. Moreover, the motion mechanism of magnetic soft robot has been revealed through comprehensive force analysis and formulaic rigid body motion analysis. These findings have strengthened our understandings on the deformation of slender structures and the locomotion of magnetic soft robot, which are promising to guide the design and analysis of innovative devices and robots.
期刊介绍:
It is the objective of this journal to provide an effective medium for the dissemination of recent advances and original works in mechanics and materials'' engineering and their impact on the design process in an integrated, highly focused and coherent format. The goal is to enable mechanical, aeronautical, civil, automotive, biomedical, chemical and nuclear engineers, researchers and scientists to keep abreast of recent developments and exchange ideas on a number of topics relating to the use of mechanics and materials in design.
Analytical synopsis of contents:
The following non-exhaustive list is considered to be within the scope of the International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design:
Intelligent Design:
Nano-engineering and Nano-science in Design;
Smart Materials and Adaptive Structures in Design;
Mechanism(s) Design;
Design against Failure;
Design for Manufacturing;
Design of Ultralight Structures;
Design for a Clean Environment;
Impact and Crashworthiness;
Microelectronic Packaging Systems.
Advanced Materials in Design:
Newly Engineered Materials;
Smart Materials and Adaptive Structures;
Micromechanical Modelling of Composites;
Damage Characterisation of Advanced/Traditional Materials;
Alternative Use of Traditional Materials in Design;
Functionally Graded Materials;
Failure Analysis: Fatigue and Fracture;
Multiscale Modelling Concepts and Methodology;
Interfaces, interfacial properties and characterisation.
Design Analysis and Optimisation:
Shape and Topology Optimisation;
Structural Optimisation;
Optimisation Algorithms in Design;
Nonlinear Mechanics in Design;
Novel Numerical Tools in Design;
Geometric Modelling and CAD Tools in Design;
FEM, BEM and Hybrid Methods;
Integrated Computer Aided Design;
Computational Failure Analysis;
Coupled Thermo-Electro-Mechanical Designs.