This study proposes a bendable and stretchable tactile sensors array and its data acquisition circuit with the aim of realizing a tough tactile skin for robotic surface. Its pressure sensitive part consists of conductive fabrics and pressure-conductive rubber sheets arranged in a matrix form. The entire pressure sensitive part is covered with silicone rubber, which makes up for not only the weakness to mechanical damage and water wetness but also the lack of restoring force. The data acquisition circuit consists of a small number of electronic components. The experimental result shows that each tactile cell of the sensor can detect normal force of 0.7N ∼ 3N with small hysteresis and high repeatability, the sensor can detect force distribution without inaccurate sensing due to a wraparound current, and the mechanical properties of the sensor are suitable for practical use in tough conditions.
{"title":"Tough, bendable and stretchable tactile sensors array for covering robot surfaces","authors":"Yuji Hirai, Yosuke Suzuki, Tokuo Tsuji, Tetsuyou Watanabe","doi":"10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8404932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8404932","url":null,"abstract":"This study proposes a bendable and stretchable tactile sensors array and its data acquisition circuit with the aim of realizing a tough tactile skin for robotic surface. Its pressure sensitive part consists of conductive fabrics and pressure-conductive rubber sheets arranged in a matrix form. The entire pressure sensitive part is covered with silicone rubber, which makes up for not only the weakness to mechanical damage and water wetness but also the lack of restoring force. The data acquisition circuit consists of a small number of electronic components. The experimental result shows that each tactile cell of the sensor can detect normal force of 0.7N ∼ 3N with small hysteresis and high repeatability, the sensor can detect force distribution without inaccurate sensing due to a wraparound current, and the mechanical properties of the sensor are suitable for practical use in tough conditions.","PeriodicalId":306255,"journal":{"name":"2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)","volume":"221 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133611224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-04-01DOI: 10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405374
Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu, A. Sadeghi, A. Mondini, B. Mazzolai
In this study, we present the design and development of a shoe outsole with active soft suckers which demonstrates a better shear resistance to prevent slip/fall of the user. The proposed design of the shoe outsole is layered by a multi-material structure with a soft suckered pattern connected to a vacuum pump (−0.8 bar). The sucker function can increase the normal force at the shoe/ground interface and enhance the frictional properties of contact area, which helps assuring a secured walking both in dry and wet surface condition. The developed shoe prototypes were characterized on different ground conditions with varying vertical load assuming the applied vertical force in human locomotion. The maximum shear resistance (≥50 Kg force) was recorded for suckered outsole that was higher than the shear resistance (≥0.9 Kg force) of normal outsole of a commercial product. The experimental results are promising in the direction to have a firm grip with suction at varying surface condition to prevent fall/slip while walking with the balance of shear force and frictional force.
{"title":"Soft sucker shoe for anti-slippage application","authors":"Saravana Prashanth Murali Babu, A. Sadeghi, A. Mondini, B. Mazzolai","doi":"10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405374","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we present the design and development of a shoe outsole with active soft suckers which demonstrates a better shear resistance to prevent slip/fall of the user. The proposed design of the shoe outsole is layered by a multi-material structure with a soft suckered pattern connected to a vacuum pump (−0.8 bar). The sucker function can increase the normal force at the shoe/ground interface and enhance the frictional properties of contact area, which helps assuring a secured walking both in dry and wet surface condition. The developed shoe prototypes were characterized on different ground conditions with varying vertical load assuming the applied vertical force in human locomotion. The maximum shear resistance (≥50 Kg force) was recorded for suckered outsole that was higher than the shear resistance (≥0.9 Kg force) of normal outsole of a commercial product. The experimental results are promising in the direction to have a firm grip with suction at varying surface condition to prevent fall/slip while walking with the balance of shear force and frictional force.","PeriodicalId":306255,"journal":{"name":"2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121163602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-04-01DOI: 10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405377
A. Lidtke, F. G. Serchi, M. Lisle, G. Weymouth
The design, calibration and testing of an experimental rig for measuring 2-DOFs unsteady loads over aquatic robots is discussed. The presented apparatus is specifically devised for thrust characterization of a squid-inspired soft unmanned underwater vehicle, but its modular design lends itself to more general bioinspired propulsion systems and the inclusion of additional degrees of freedom. A purposely designed protocol is introduced for combining calibration and error compensation upon which force and moment measurements can be performed with a mean error of 0.8% in steady linear loading and 1.7% in unsteady linear loading, and mean errors of 10.2% and 9.4% respectively for the case of steady and dynamic moments at a sampling rate of the order of 10 Hz. The ease of operation, the very limited cost of manufacturing and the degree of accuracy make this an invaluable tool for fast prototyping and low-budget projects broadly applicable in the soft robotics community.
{"title":"A low-cost experimental rig for multi-DOF unsteady thrust measurements of aquatic bioinspired soft robots","authors":"A. Lidtke, F. G. Serchi, M. Lisle, G. Weymouth","doi":"10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405377","url":null,"abstract":"The design, calibration and testing of an experimental rig for measuring 2-DOFs unsteady loads over aquatic robots is discussed. The presented apparatus is specifically devised for thrust characterization of a squid-inspired soft unmanned underwater vehicle, but its modular design lends itself to more general bioinspired propulsion systems and the inclusion of additional degrees of freedom. A purposely designed protocol is introduced for combining calibration and error compensation upon which force and moment measurements can be performed with a mean error of 0.8% in steady linear loading and 1.7% in unsteady linear loading, and mean errors of 10.2% and 9.4% respectively for the case of steady and dynamic moments at a sampling rate of the order of 10 Hz. The ease of operation, the very limited cost of manufacturing and the degree of accuracy make this an invaluable tool for fast prototyping and low-budget projects broadly applicable in the soft robotics community.","PeriodicalId":306255,"journal":{"name":"2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132273964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-04-01DOI: 10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405387
T. Abe, Shoichiro Koizumi, Hiroyuki Nabae, G. Endo, K. Suzumori
This study reports on the design and construction of a body support suit based on two novel concepts: muscle textile and shifting the balancing posture of the body. The muscle textile is an active textile composed of soft thin muscles that provides a large supporting force, and is flexible and lightweight. Shifting the balancing posture of the body involves changing its neutral posture while relaxing the muscles, making it easier to perform tasks in uncomfortable positions and simplifying the control system of the support suit. These two ideas are employed herein to design a flexible, light, comfortable, and simple support suit system. We then propose and test a soft suit intended to assist humans in tasks involving unnatural arm positions based on this design. The performed subjective experiments confirmed that the 2 kg soft suit attained a self-weight compensation of up to 120° forward, a reduction of 33% in the integrated electromyogram in the brachialis muscle, and a suppression of 5% of body sway.
{"title":"Muscle textile to implement soft suit to shift balancing posture of the body","authors":"T. Abe, Shoichiro Koizumi, Hiroyuki Nabae, G. Endo, K. Suzumori","doi":"10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOSOFT.2018.8405387","url":null,"abstract":"This study reports on the design and construction of a body support suit based on two novel concepts: muscle textile and shifting the balancing posture of the body. The muscle textile is an active textile composed of soft thin muscles that provides a large supporting force, and is flexible and lightweight. Shifting the balancing posture of the body involves changing its neutral posture while relaxing the muscles, making it easier to perform tasks in uncomfortable positions and simplifying the control system of the support suit. These two ideas are employed herein to design a flexible, light, comfortable, and simple support suit system. We then propose and test a soft suit intended to assist humans in tasks involving unnatural arm positions based on this design. The performed subjective experiments confirmed that the 2 kg soft suit attained a self-weight compensation of up to 120° forward, a reduction of 33% in the integrated electromyogram in the brachialis muscle, and a suppression of 5% of body sway.","PeriodicalId":306255,"journal":{"name":"2018 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)","volume":"51 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129085571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}