Tianze Hao,Yue Ma,Jingjing Feng,Songtao Liu,Jutao Wang
Dealing with grasping tasks in unstructured environments, existing soft grippers often exhibit a lack of static stability, while rigid-soft hybrid grippers display limited compliance due to the fixed connections at the joints. To address the challenge of balancing static stability and flexible adaptability, this study designs and implements a bioinspired hybrid gripper combining soft and rigid elements. The gripper draws inspiration from the collateral ligaments and joint capsule structures of human fingers. It employs a tendon-driven mechanism that ensures high static stability while enabling a large range of flexion movements and some degree of deflection, mimicking the dynamic bending of a human finger. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid fingers excel in terms of static stability, working range, and output force. Notably, under conditions of extensor tendon pretension, the fingers exhibit finer motion toward the fingertips. The dual-finger gripper performs exceptionally well in various grasping tasks, stably grasping objects of different shapes and weights, such as the Evolved Grasp Analysis Dataset and common daily items. This study offers a novel and straightforward design approach for the development of bioinspired fingers and high-performance robots, holding broad application prospects.
{"title":"Design and Implementation of a Soft-Rigid Hybrid Gripper with Bionic Ligaments and Joint Capsule.","authors":"Tianze Hao,Yue Ma,Jingjing Feng,Songtao Liu,Jutao Wang","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0095","url":null,"abstract":"Dealing with grasping tasks in unstructured environments, existing soft grippers often exhibit a lack of static stability, while rigid-soft hybrid grippers display limited compliance due to the fixed connections at the joints. To address the challenge of balancing static stability and flexible adaptability, this study designs and implements a bioinspired hybrid gripper combining soft and rigid elements. The gripper draws inspiration from the collateral ligaments and joint capsule structures of human fingers. It employs a tendon-driven mechanism that ensures high static stability while enabling a large range of flexion movements and some degree of deflection, mimicking the dynamic bending of a human finger. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid fingers excel in terms of static stability, working range, and output force. Notably, under conditions of extensor tendon pretension, the fingers exhibit finer motion toward the fingertips. The dual-finger gripper performs exceptionally well in various grasping tasks, stably grasping objects of different shapes and weights, such as the Evolved Grasp Analysis Dataset and common daily items. This study offers a novel and straightforward design approach for the development of bioinspired fingers and high-performance robots, holding broad application prospects.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143862049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Miniature robots are increasingly used in unstructured environments and require higher mobility, robustness, and multifunctionality. However, existing purely soft and rigid designs suffer from inherent defects, such as low load capacity and compliance, respectively, restricting their functionality and performance. Here, we report new soft-rigid hybrid miniature robots applying the tensegrity principle, inspired by biological organisms' remarkable multifunctionality through tensegrity micro-structures. The miniature robot's speed of 25.07 body lengths per second is advanced among published miniature robots and tensegrity robots. The design versatility is demonstrated by constructing three bio-inspired robots using miniature tensegrity joints. Due to its internal load-transfer mechanisms, the robot has self-adaptability, deformability, and high impact resistance (withstand dynamic load 143,868 times the robot weight), enabling the robot to navigate diverse barriers, pipelines, and channels. The robot can vary its stiffness to greatly improve load capacity and motion performance. We further demonstrate the potential biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, impurity removal, and remote heating achieved by integrating metal into the robot.
{"title":"Untethered Miniature Tensegrity Robot with Tunable Stiffness for High-Speed and Adaptive Locomotion.","authors":"Bingxing Chen,Zhiyu He,Fang Ye,Yi Yang,Wenhu Chen,Fuhui Ding,Dan Gao,Yi Zhao,Zongxing Lu,Chao Jia","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0178","url":null,"abstract":"Miniature robots are increasingly used in unstructured environments and require higher mobility, robustness, and multifunctionality. However, existing purely soft and rigid designs suffer from inherent defects, such as low load capacity and compliance, respectively, restricting their functionality and performance. Here, we report new soft-rigid hybrid miniature robots applying the tensegrity principle, inspired by biological organisms' remarkable multifunctionality through tensegrity micro-structures. The miniature robot's speed of 25.07 body lengths per second is advanced among published miniature robots and tensegrity robots. The design versatility is demonstrated by constructing three bio-inspired robots using miniature tensegrity joints. Due to its internal load-transfer mechanisms, the robot has self-adaptability, deformability, and high impact resistance (withstand dynamic load 143,868 times the robot weight), enabling the robot to navigate diverse barriers, pipelines, and channels. The robot can vary its stiffness to greatly improve load capacity and motion performance. We further demonstrate the potential biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, impurity removal, and remote heating achieved by integrating metal into the robot.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143841125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ting Rang Ling,Bryan Jun Sheng Lee,Chee Pin Tan,Surya Girinatha Nurzaman,Mohammed Ayoub Juman
Despite the development of numerous soft grippers designed to handle deformable objects, hardness sensing remains a challenge, yet it is essential for various applications such as product selection or sorting, assessing fruit ripeness, or food quality control. This research introduces GripDepthSense3DNet, an innovative approach integrating 3D depth sensing with machine learning for accurate hardness sensing during grasping. Leveraging a dataset comprising of depth images of diverse objects undergoing deformation, the proposed novel network is trained to capture intricate spatial-temporal deformation features from a series of depth images. GripDepthSense3DNet outperforms state-of-the-art networks, exhibiting a commendable mean absolute percentage error of 0.46% for trained shapes and hardness. Specifically, the model achieves a reduction in parameters of approximately 94.8% compared to ResNet-50, with a training time that is around 92.9% shorter on equivalent hardware. Different depth ranges and intervals were studied to eventually arrive at an optimal configuration. Through dynamic tuning, the network's ability to seamlessly incorporate new shapes, new hardness, and even intricate arbitrary objects highlights the adaptability of the approach.
{"title":"GripDepthSense3DNet: A Depth-Enabled Hardness Sensing Framework in Soft Robotic Grasping.","authors":"Ting Rang Ling,Bryan Jun Sheng Lee,Chee Pin Tan,Surya Girinatha Nurzaman,Mohammed Ayoub Juman","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0046","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the development of numerous soft grippers designed to handle deformable objects, hardness sensing remains a challenge, yet it is essential for various applications such as product selection or sorting, assessing fruit ripeness, or food quality control. This research introduces GripDepthSense3DNet, an innovative approach integrating 3D depth sensing with machine learning for accurate hardness sensing during grasping. Leveraging a dataset comprising of depth images of diverse objects undergoing deformation, the proposed novel network is trained to capture intricate spatial-temporal deformation features from a series of depth images. GripDepthSense3DNet outperforms state-of-the-art networks, exhibiting a commendable mean absolute percentage error of 0.46% for trained shapes and hardness. Specifically, the model achieves a reduction in parameters of approximately 94.8% compared to ResNet-50, with a training time that is around 92.9% shorter on equivalent hardware. Different depth ranges and intervals were studied to eventually arrive at an optimal configuration. Through dynamic tuning, the network's ability to seamlessly incorporate new shapes, new hardness, and even intricate arbitrary objects highlights the adaptability of the approach.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"113 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143841127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Feliu-Talegon,Yusuf Abdullahi Adamu,Anup Teejo Mathew,Abdulaziz Y Alkayas,Federico Renda
Soft robots and bioinspired systems have revolutionized robot design by incorporating flexibility and deformable materials inspired by nature's ingenious designs. Similar to many robotic applications, sensing and perception are paramount to enable soft robots to adeptly navigate the unpredictable real world, ensuring safe interactions with both humans and the environment. Despite recent progress, soft robot sensorization still faces significant challenges due to the virtual infinite degrees of freedom of the system and the need for efficient computational models capable of estimating valuable information from sensor data. In this article, we present a new model-based proprioceptive system for slender soft robots based on strain sensing and a strain-based modeling approach called Geometric Variable-Strain (GVS). We develop a flexible 2-Plate 6D strain sensor (Flex-2P6D) capable of measuring the 6 dimensions (6D) strain at specific points of the soft robot with an accuracy higher than 95%. Coupled with the GVS approach, the proposed methodology is able to directly measure the configuration variables and reconstruct complex robot shapes with very high accuracy, even in very challenging conditions. The sensors are embedded inside the soft body, which makes them also suitable for underwater operation and physical interaction with the environment. Something that we also demonstrate experimentally. We believe that our approach has the potential to be applied across a wide variety of applications, including observation and exploration missions, as well as human-robot interaction, where the states of the system are required for implementing precise closed-loop control and estimation methods.
{"title":"Advancing Soft Robot Proprioception Through 6D Strain Sensors Embedding.","authors":"Daniel Feliu-Talegon,Yusuf Abdullahi Adamu,Anup Teejo Mathew,Abdulaziz Y Alkayas,Federico Renda","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0017","url":null,"abstract":"Soft robots and bioinspired systems have revolutionized robot design by incorporating flexibility and deformable materials inspired by nature's ingenious designs. Similar to many robotic applications, sensing and perception are paramount to enable soft robots to adeptly navigate the unpredictable real world, ensuring safe interactions with both humans and the environment. Despite recent progress, soft robot sensorization still faces significant challenges due to the virtual infinite degrees of freedom of the system and the need for efficient computational models capable of estimating valuable information from sensor data. In this article, we present a new model-based proprioceptive system for slender soft robots based on strain sensing and a strain-based modeling approach called Geometric Variable-Strain (GVS). We develop a flexible 2-Plate 6D strain sensor (Flex-2P6D) capable of measuring the 6 dimensions (6D) strain at specific points of the soft robot with an accuracy higher than 95%. Coupled with the GVS approach, the proposed methodology is able to directly measure the configuration variables and reconstruct complex robot shapes with very high accuracy, even in very challenging conditions. The sensors are embedded inside the soft body, which makes them also suitable for underwater operation and physical interaction with the environment. Something that we also demonstrate experimentally. We believe that our approach has the potential to be applied across a wide variety of applications, including observation and exploration missions, as well as human-robot interaction, where the states of the system are required for implementing precise closed-loop control and estimation methods.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142991836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soft magnetic robots have attracted extensive research interest recently due to their fast-transforming ability and programmability. Although the inherent softness of the matrix materials enables dexterity and safe interactions, the contradiction between the easy shape transformation of the soft matrices and load carrying capacity, as well as the difficulty of independently controllable motion of individual segments, severely limits its design space and application potentials. Herein, we have proposed a strategy to adjust the modulus of shape memory polymer composite embedded with hard magnetic particles by in situ Joule heating of printed circuit, which can reversibly change the stiffness from 4.1 GPa at 25°C to 10.9 MPa at 70°C. The stiffness tunable magnetic robots realize the compatibility of fast reversible shape transformation and high load carrying capacity. Furthermore, multiple separated Joule circuits are designed for the independently controllable motion of individual segments. The simulation of Joule heating and magnetic actuation is used to guide the design of devices. The concept of simultaneously programming magnetic anisotropy and stiffness proposed in this work greatly expands the design space and new applications of magnetic actuators, including soft grippers for heavy loads and bionic hand with independent motion of fingers.
{"title":"Stiffness Tunable Magnetic Actuators Based on Shape Memory Polymer/NdFeB Composite for Segmental Controllable Motion.","authors":"Weifan Zhou,Lei Fu,Yangyong Zhao,Hao Zhu,Shengzhao Li,Lu Peng,Jingyi Xu,Shihao Deng,Zhen Zhou,Tie Li,Ting Zhang","doi":"10.1089/soro.2023.0184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2023.0184","url":null,"abstract":"Soft magnetic robots have attracted extensive research interest recently due to their fast-transforming ability and programmability. Although the inherent softness of the matrix materials enables dexterity and safe interactions, the contradiction between the easy shape transformation of the soft matrices and load carrying capacity, as well as the difficulty of independently controllable motion of individual segments, severely limits its design space and application potentials. Herein, we have proposed a strategy to adjust the modulus of shape memory polymer composite embedded with hard magnetic particles by in situ Joule heating of printed circuit, which can reversibly change the stiffness from 4.1 GPa at 25°C to 10.9 MPa at 70°C. The stiffness tunable magnetic robots realize the compatibility of fast reversible shape transformation and high load carrying capacity. Furthermore, multiple separated Joule circuits are designed for the independently controllable motion of individual segments. The simulation of Joule heating and magnetic actuation is used to guide the design of devices. The concept of simultaneously programming magnetic anisotropy and stiffness proposed in this work greatly expands the design space and new applications of magnetic actuators, including soft grippers for heavy loads and bionic hand with independent motion of fingers.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142989331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shuang Gao,Jun Zhang,Rong Zhang,Long Li,Jianguo Cai,Yangqiao Lin,Tao Jin
Soft actuators hold great potential for applications in surgical operations, robotic manipulation, and prosthetic devices. However, they are limited by their structures, materials, and actuation methods, resulting in disadvantages in output force and dynamic response. This article introduces a soft pneumatic actuator capable of bending based on triangular prism origami. The origami creases are crafted by utilizing fabrics to gain swift response and fatigue-resistant properties. By connecting two actuators in series, combined motions including extension and diversified compound bending can be achieved, facilitating control in complex scenarios. After modularizing the soft actuator via mortise and tenon structures, several actuators can be programmed to execute a variety of intricate tasks by adjusting the timing sequences of their contraction and expansion. We showcase its applications in reconfigurable robots, and the results confirm that such a design is adequate for flexibly performing tasks such as soft gripping, navigational movement, and obstacle avoidance. These findings highlight the significance of our actuator in developing soft robots for versatile tasks.
{"title":"Tri-Prism Origami Enabled Soft Modular Actuator for Reconfigurable Robots.","authors":"Shuang Gao,Jun Zhang,Rong Zhang,Long Li,Jianguo Cai,Yangqiao Lin,Tao Jin","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0112","url":null,"abstract":"Soft actuators hold great potential for applications in surgical operations, robotic manipulation, and prosthetic devices. However, they are limited by their structures, materials, and actuation methods, resulting in disadvantages in output force and dynamic response. This article introduces a soft pneumatic actuator capable of bending based on triangular prism origami. The origami creases are crafted by utilizing fabrics to gain swift response and fatigue-resistant properties. By connecting two actuators in series, combined motions including extension and diversified compound bending can be achieved, facilitating control in complex scenarios. After modularizing the soft actuator via mortise and tenon structures, several actuators can be programmed to execute a variety of intricate tasks by adjusting the timing sequences of their contraction and expansion. We showcase its applications in reconfigurable robots, and the results confirm that such a design is adequate for flexibly performing tasks such as soft gripping, navigational movement, and obstacle avoidance. These findings highlight the significance of our actuator in developing soft robots for versatile tasks.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142989397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dionysios Malas,Shuai Wang,Wei Huang,Lukas Lindenroth,Wenfeng Xia,Hongbin Liu
Modern industrial and medical applications require soft actuators with practical actuation methods, capable of precision control and high-speed performance. Within the realm of medical robotics, precision and speed imply less complications and reduced operational times. Soft fluidic actuators (SFAs) are promising candidates to replace the current rigid endoscopes due to their mechanical compliance, which offers safer human-robot interaction. However, the most common techniques used to operate SFAs, pneumatics, and hydraulics present limitations that affect their performance. To reduce manufacturing complexity, enhance response time, improve control precision, and augment the usability of SFAs, we propose a pneudraulic actuationsystem that, for the first time, combines a pneumatic and hydraulic circuit in series. To examine this proposal, a comparative assessment of the proposed actuation technique with the common techniques was carried out, in terms of bending performance and generation of audible noise level during functioning. The analysis provides insights into the performance of various fluidic actuation methods for SFAs, highlighting significant effects related to fluid-structure interactions and the presence of trapped air. Thereafter, a comparative assessment of different fluidic circuits is performed, illustrating how tubing length, inner and outer diameter, as well as the amount of different fluidic medium impact the dynamic behavior of the system, amplifying the importance of fluid mechanics for design optimization. Furthermore, we propose a model-based control strategy that solely focuses on fluid dynamics, utilizing the hydraulic-electric analogy and the resistor-inductor-capacitor circuit theory. Our PID controller improved actuation speed by 52.63% and reduced audible noise by 17.17%.
{"title":"A Novel Pneudraulic Actuation Method to Enhance Soft Robot Control.","authors":"Dionysios Malas,Shuai Wang,Wei Huang,Lukas Lindenroth,Wenfeng Xia,Hongbin Liu","doi":"10.1089/soro.2024.0094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2024.0094","url":null,"abstract":"Modern industrial and medical applications require soft actuators with practical actuation methods, capable of precision control and high-speed performance. Within the realm of medical robotics, precision and speed imply less complications and reduced operational times. Soft fluidic actuators (SFAs) are promising candidates to replace the current rigid endoscopes due to their mechanical compliance, which offers safer human-robot interaction. However, the most common techniques used to operate SFAs, pneumatics, and hydraulics present limitations that affect their performance. To reduce manufacturing complexity, enhance response time, improve control precision, and augment the usability of SFAs, we propose a pneudraulic actuationsystem that, for the first time, combines a pneumatic and hydraulic circuit in series. To examine this proposal, a comparative assessment of the proposed actuation technique with the common techniques was carried out, in terms of bending performance and generation of audible noise level during functioning. The analysis provides insights into the performance of various fluidic actuation methods for SFAs, highlighting significant effects related to fluid-structure interactions and the presence of trapped air. Thereafter, a comparative assessment of different fluidic circuits is performed, illustrating how tubing length, inner and outer diameter, as well as the amount of different fluidic medium impact the dynamic behavior of the system, amplifying the importance of fluid mechanics for design optimization. Furthermore, we propose a model-based control strategy that solely focuses on fluid dynamics, utilizing the hydraulic-electric analogy and the resistor-inductor-capacitor circuit theory. Our PID controller improved actuation speed by 52.63% and reduced audible noise by 17.17%.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"123 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142888828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Net-winged midge larvae (Blephariceridae) are known for their remarkable ability to adhere to and crawl on the slippery surfaces of rocks in fast-flowing and turbulent alpine streams, waterfalls, and rivers. This remarkable performance can be attributed to the larvae's powerful ventral suckers. In this article, we first develop a theoretical model of the piston-driven sucker that considers the lubricated state of the contact area. We then implement a piston-driven robotic sucker featuring a V-shaped notch to explore the adhesion-sliding mechanism. Each biomimetic larval sucker has the unique feature of an anterior-facing V-shaped notch on its soft disc rim; it slides along the shear direction while the entire disc surface maintains powerful adhesion on the benthic substrate, just like the biological counterpart. We found that this biomimetic sucker can reversibly transit between "high friction" (4.26 ± 0.34 kPa) and "low friction" (0.41 ± 0.02 kPa) states due to the piston movement, resulting in a frictional enhancement of up to 93.9%. We also elucidate the frictional anisotropy (forward/backward force ratio: 0.81) caused by the V-shaped notch. To demonstrate the robotic application of this adhesion-sliding mechanism, we designed an underwater crawling robot Adhesion Sliding Robot-1 (ASR-1) equipped with two biomimetic ventral suckers. This robot can successfully crawl on a variety of substrates such as curved surfaces, sidewalls, and overhangs and against turbulent water currents with a flow speed of 2.4 m/s. In addition, we implemented a fixed-wing aircraft Adhesion Sliding Robot-2 (ASR-2) featuring midge larva-inspired suckers, enabling transit from rapid water surface gliding to adhesion sliding in an aquatic environment. This adhesion-sliding mechanism inspired by net-winged midge larvae may pave the way for future robots with long-term observation, monitoring, and tracking capabilities in a wide variety of aerial and aquatic environments.
网翅蠓幼虫（Blephariceridae）以其在水流湍急的高山溪流、瀑布和河流中的湿滑岩石表面附着和爬行的非凡能力而闻名。这种非凡的表现可归功于幼虫强有力的腹吸盘。在本文中，我们首先建立了一个考虑到接触区域润滑状态的活塞驱动吸盘理论模型。然后，我们实现了一个具有 V 形凹口的活塞驱动机器人吸盘，以探索粘附滑动机制。每个仿生幼虫吸盘都有一个独特的特征，即在其柔软的盘缘上有一个朝向前方的 V 形凹口；它沿着剪切方向滑动，同时整个盘面与底栖基质保持强大的粘附力，就像生物吸盘一样。我们发现，这种仿生物吸盘可通过活塞运动在 "高摩擦"（4.26 ± 0.34 kPa）和 "低摩擦"（0.41 ± 0.02 kPa）状态之间可逆转换，从而使摩擦力增强高达 93.9%。我们还阐明了 V 形凹槽造成的摩擦力各向异性（前进/后退力比：0.81）。为了展示这种粘附滑动机制在机器人领域的应用，我们设计了一种配备两个仿生腹吸盘的水下爬行机器人粘附滑动机器人-1（ASR-1）。这种机器人可以成功地在曲面、侧壁和悬臂等各种基底上爬行，并能在流速为 2.4 米/秒的湍流中逆流而上。此外，我们还实现了固定翼飞行器附着滑动机器人-2（ASR-2），其特点是由蠓幼虫启发的吸盘，可在水生环境中从快速水面滑行过渡到附着滑动。这种受网翅蠓幼虫启发的附着滑动机制可能为未来机器人在各种空中和水上环境中的长期观察、监测和跟踪能力铺平道路。
{"title":"A Biomimetic Adhesive Disc for Robotic Adhesion Sliding Inspired by the Net-Winged Midge Larva.","authors":"Haoyuan Xu,Jiale Zhi,Bohan Chen,Shuyong Zhao,Jie Huang,Chongze Bi,Lei Li,Bochen Tian,Yuchen Liu,Yiyuan Zhang,JinXi Duan,Fuqiang Yang,Xia He,Kun Xu,Ke Wu,Tianmiao Wang,Nguyen Pham,Xilun Ding,Li Wen","doi":"10.1089/soro.2023.0253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2023.0253","url":null,"abstract":"Net-winged midge larvae (Blephariceridae) are known for their remarkable ability to adhere to and crawl on the slippery surfaces of rocks in fast-flowing and turbulent alpine streams, waterfalls, and rivers. This remarkable performance can be attributed to the larvae's powerful ventral suckers. In this article, we first develop a theoretical model of the piston-driven sucker that considers the lubricated state of the contact area. We then implement a piston-driven robotic sucker featuring a V-shaped notch to explore the adhesion-sliding mechanism. Each biomimetic larval sucker has the unique feature of an anterior-facing V-shaped notch on its soft disc rim; it slides along the shear direction while the entire disc surface maintains powerful adhesion on the benthic substrate, just like the biological counterpart. We found that this biomimetic sucker can reversibly transit between \"high friction\" (4.26 ± 0.34 kPa) and \"low friction\" (0.41 ± 0.02 kPa) states due to the piston movement, resulting in a frictional enhancement of up to 93.9%. We also elucidate the frictional anisotropy (forward/backward force ratio: 0.81) caused by the V-shaped notch. To demonstrate the robotic application of this adhesion-sliding mechanism, we designed an underwater crawling robot Adhesion Sliding Robot-1 (ASR-1) equipped with two biomimetic ventral suckers. This robot can successfully crawl on a variety of substrates such as curved surfaces, sidewalls, and overhangs and against turbulent water currents with a flow speed of 2.4 m/s. In addition, we implemented a fixed-wing aircraft Adhesion Sliding Robot-2 (ASR-2) featuring midge larva-inspired suckers, enabling transit from rapid water surface gliding to adhesion sliding in an aquatic environment. This adhesion-sliding mechanism inspired by net-winged midge larvae may pave the way for future robots with long-term observation, monitoring, and tracking capabilities in a wide variety of aerial and aquatic environments.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yu Dang,Jingyu Zhang,Jie Chen,Tianyu Jiang,Jianda Han
Origami robots have garnered attention due to their versatile deformation and potential applications, particularly for medical applications. In this article, we propose a Yoshimura continuum manipulator (YoMo) that can achieve accurate control of the tip position for the magnetic resonance (MR) environment. The YoMo made of a single piece of paper is cable-actuated to generate the bending and shortening deformation. The paper-based YoMo attached to an arc frame can readily function under different orientations in the MR environment. The design and fabrication of YoMo were formulated according to the Yoshimura folding pattern. The kinematics model based on constant curvature assumption was derived as a benchmark method to predict the tip position of the YoMo. The Koopman operator theory was applied to describe the relationship between the tip position and the length change under different orientations. The linear quadratic regulator integrated into the Koopman-based model (K-LQR) was adopted to achieve the trajectory tracking. Comprehensive experiments were carried out to examine the proposed YoMo, its modeling and control methods. The performance of the YoMo including stiffness and workspace was characterized via a customized test setup. The Koopman-based method demonstrates the superiority over the constant curvature-based model to predict the tip position. The K-LQR control method was examined with different trajectories, and the impact of the orientation, speed, and different trajectories were taken into consideration. The results demonstrate the YoMo is capable of achieving trajectory tracking with satisfied accuracy, indicating its potential for medical applications in the MR environment.
{"title":"YoMo: Yoshimura Continuum Manipulator for MR Environment.","authors":"Yu Dang,Jingyu Zhang,Jie Chen,Tianyu Jiang,Jianda Han","doi":"10.1089/soro.2023.0262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2023.0262","url":null,"abstract":"Origami robots have garnered attention due to their versatile deformation and potential applications, particularly for medical applications. In this article, we propose a Yoshimura continuum manipulator (YoMo) that can achieve accurate control of the tip position for the magnetic resonance (MR) environment. The YoMo made of a single piece of paper is cable-actuated to generate the bending and shortening deformation. The paper-based YoMo attached to an arc frame can readily function under different orientations in the MR environment. The design and fabrication of YoMo were formulated according to the Yoshimura folding pattern. The kinematics model based on constant curvature assumption was derived as a benchmark method to predict the tip position of the YoMo. The Koopman operator theory was applied to describe the relationship between the tip position and the length change under different orientations. The linear quadratic regulator integrated into the Koopman-based model (K-LQR) was adopted to achieve the trajectory tracking. Comprehensive experiments were carried out to examine the proposed YoMo, its modeling and control methods. The performance of the YoMo including stiffness and workspace was characterized via a customized test setup. The Koopman-based method demonstrates the superiority over the constant curvature-based model to predict the tip position. The K-LQR control method was examined with different trajectories, and the impact of the orientation, speed, and different trajectories were taken into consideration. The results demonstrate the YoMo is capable of achieving trajectory tracking with satisfied accuracy, indicating its potential for medical applications in the MR environment.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142436220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peter Seungjune Lee,Cameron Sjaarda,Run Ze Gao,Jacob Dupuis,Maya Rukavina-Nolsoe,Carolyn L Ren
Despite the exponentially expanding capabilities of robotic systems with the introduction of soft robotics, the lack of practical considerations in designing and integrating soft robotic components hinders the widespread application of newly developed technology in real life. This study investigates the development and performance evaluation of soft-rigid hybrid (SRH) robotic systems employing multilayered bellow-shaped soft pneumatic actuators (MBSPAs) to overcome the common challenges exclusively exhibited in soft robotics. Specifically, we introduce a unique SRH revolute joint enabled by a single thermoplastic polyurethane-MBSPA and rigid components to tackle the limitations of existing soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs), such as restricted payload capacity, vulnerability to external damages, and lack of resilience against outdoor environment. The proposed SRH system entails rigid components encapsulating to protect the MBSPA throughout the entirety of the desired range of motion, and demonstrates improved displacement efficiency, force output, and resilience against external loads. The rigid components also help to stabilize the axis of motion, fostering high durability and repeatable motion. We also extend this concept to a one-degree of freedom SRH prismatic joint. Finite element method modeling is used to estimate the general actuator performance, facilitating the design of MBSPA with limited material information and bypassing trial and error. The wider application of this research targets delicate object handling in industries such as agriculture, encouraging safe and efficient automated harvesting. The article includes thorough actuator performance characterization including displacement, frequency response, durability with life cycle testing up to 25,000 cycles, force output, stiffness, and power density. Performance comparisons with other SPA are provided. A proof of concept 3-point gripper enabled by the proposed SRH joints is capable of gripping objects of various sizes and shapes, with detailed workspace analysis and demonstration showing the gripper's versatility. The SRH system presented here lays a robust foundation for the ongoing advancement of soft robotic technology toward real-life applications, unveiling the potential for a future in which robots operate efficiently in the targeted applications, aiming to integrate seamlessly into workflows with human workers.
{"title":"Soft-Rigid Hybrid Revolute and Prismatic Joints Using Multilayered Bellow-Type Soft Pneumatic Actuators: Design, Characterization, and Its Application as Soft-Rigid Hybrid Gripper.","authors":"Peter Seungjune Lee,Cameron Sjaarda,Run Ze Gao,Jacob Dupuis,Maya Rukavina-Nolsoe,Carolyn L Ren","doi":"10.1089/soro.2022.0214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2022.0214","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the exponentially expanding capabilities of robotic systems with the introduction of soft robotics, the lack of practical considerations in designing and integrating soft robotic components hinders the widespread application of newly developed technology in real life. This study investigates the development and performance evaluation of soft-rigid hybrid (SRH) robotic systems employing multilayered bellow-shaped soft pneumatic actuators (MBSPAs) to overcome the common challenges exclusively exhibited in soft robotics. Specifically, we introduce a unique SRH revolute joint enabled by a single thermoplastic polyurethane-MBSPA and rigid components to tackle the limitations of existing soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs), such as restricted payload capacity, vulnerability to external damages, and lack of resilience against outdoor environment. The proposed SRH system entails rigid components encapsulating to protect the MBSPA throughout the entirety of the desired range of motion, and demonstrates improved displacement efficiency, force output, and resilience against external loads. The rigid components also help to stabilize the axis of motion, fostering high durability and repeatable motion. We also extend this concept to a one-degree of freedom SRH prismatic joint. Finite element method modeling is used to estimate the general actuator performance, facilitating the design of MBSPA with limited material information and bypassing trial and error. The wider application of this research targets delicate object handling in industries such as agriculture, encouraging safe and efficient automated harvesting. The article includes thorough actuator performance characterization including displacement, frequency response, durability with life cycle testing up to 25,000 cycles, force output, stiffness, and power density. Performance comparisons with other SPA are provided. A proof of concept 3-point gripper enabled by the proposed SRH joints is capable of gripping objects of various sizes and shapes, with detailed workspace analysis and demonstration showing the gripper's versatility. The SRH system presented here lays a robust foundation for the ongoing advancement of soft robotic technology toward real-life applications, unveiling the potential for a future in which robots operate efficiently in the targeted applications, aiming to integrate seamlessly into workflows with human workers.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142275231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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