Conductive hydrogels‐based self‐sensing soft robot state perception and trajectory tracking

Abstract

Soft robots face significant challenges in proprioceptive sensing and precise control due to their highly deformable and compliant nature. This paper addresses these challenges by developing a conductive hydrogel sensor and integrating it into a soft robot for bending angle measurement and motion control. A quantitative mapping between the hydrogel resistance and the robot's bending gesture is formulated. Furthermore, a nonlinear differentiator is proposed to estimate the angular velocity for closed‐loop control, eliminating the reliance on conventional sensors. Meanwhile, a controller is designed to track both structural and nonstructural trajectories. The proposed approach integrates advanced soft sensing materials and intelligent control algorithms, significantly improving the proprioception and motion accuracy of soft robots. This work bridges the gap between novel material design and practical control applications, opening up new possibilities for soft robots to perform delicate tasks in various fields. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed sensing and control approach in achieving precise and robust motion control of the soft robot.