scholarly journals On-Board Pneumatic Pressure Generation Methods for Soft Robotics Applications

Actuators ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Momme Adami ◽  
Arthur Seibel
Keyword(s):  
Review Paper ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Pressure Source ◽  
Pneumatic Pressure ◽  
Safety Aspects ◽  
Wearable Robots ◽  
Challenging Tasks ◽  
Working Principle

The design and construction of a soft robot are challenging tasks on their own. When the robot is supposed to operate without a tether, it becomes even more demanding. While a tethered operation is sufficient for a stationary use, it is impractical for wearable robots or performing tasks that demand a high mobility. Choosing and implementing an on-board pneumatic pressure source are particularly complex tasks. There are several different pressure generation methods to choose from, each with very different properties and ways of implementation. This review paper is written with the intention of informing about all pressure generation methods available in the field of soft robotics and providing an overview of the abilities and properties of each method. Nine different methods are described regarding their working principle, pressure generation behavior, energetic considerations, safety aspects, and suitability for soft robotics applications. All presented methods are evaluated in the most important categories for soft robotics pressure sources and compared to each other qualitatively and quantitatively as far as possible. The aim of the results presented is to simplify the choice of a suitable pressure generation method when designing an on-board pressure source for a soft robot.

scholarly journals Advanced soft robot modeling in ChainQueen

Robotica ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Andrew Spielberg ◽  
Tao Du ◽  
Yuanming Hu ◽  
Daniela Rus ◽  
Wojciech Matusik
Keyword(s):  
Application Programming Interface ◽  
Material Point ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Inference Control ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Efficient Simulation ◽  
Application Programming ◽  
Robot Modeling ◽  
Programming Interface

Abstract We present extensions to ChainQueen, an open source, fully differentiable material point method simulator for soft robotics. Previous work established ChainQueen as a powerful tool for inference, control, and co-design for soft robotics. We detail enhancements to ChainQueen, allowing for more efficient simulation and optimization and expressive co-optimization over material properties and geometric parameters. We package our simulator extensions in an easy-to-use, modular application programming interface (API) with predefined observation models, controllers, actuators, optimizers, and geometric processing tools, making it simple to prototype complex experiments in 50 lines or fewer. We demonstrate the power of our simulator extensions in over nine simulated experiments.

Multiple Inputs-Single Accumulated Output Mechanism for Soft Linear Actuators

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyeong Ho Cho ◽  
Ho Moon Kim ◽  
Youngeun Kim ◽  
Sang Yul Yang ◽  
Hyouk Ryeol Choi
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Muscle ◽  
Operating Mode ◽  
Robotic Arm ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Wearable Robots ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Linear Actuators ◽  
Soft Actuators ◽  
Muscle Actuators ◽  
Further Development

Soft linear actuators (SLAs) such as shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, pneumatic soft actuators, dielectric elastomer actuator, and twisted and coiled soft actuator (TCA) called artificial muscle actuators in general, have many advantages over the conventional actuators. SLAs can realize innovative robotic technologies like soft robots, wearable robots, and bionic arms in the future, but further development is still needed in real applications because most SLAs do not provide large displacement or force as needed. This paper presents a novel mechanism supplementing SLAs by accumulating the displacement of multiple SLAs. It adopts the principle of differential gears in reverse. Since the input units of the mechanism are extensible, more displacement can be accumulated by increasing the number of the input units as many as needed. The mechanism is basically used to accumulate displacements, but can be used to accumulate forces by changing its operating mode. This paper introduces the design and working principle of the mechanism and validates its operation experimentally. In addition, the mechanism is implemented on a robotic arm and its effectiveness is confirmed.

scholarly journals Soft Robotics: Light-Driven Soft Robot Mimics Caterpillar Locomotion in Natural Scale (Advanced Optical Materials 11/2016)

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 1902-1902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Rogóż ◽  
Hao Zeng ◽  
Chen Xuan ◽  
Diederik Sybolt Wiersma ◽  
Piotr Wasylczyk
Keyword(s):  
Optical Materials ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Natural Scale

scholarly journals Self-excited air flow passage changing device for periodic pressurization of soft robot

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Takayama ◽  
Yusuke Sumi
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Robot ◽  
Rotational Motion ◽  
Air Pressure ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Pressure Source ◽  
Large Delay ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Flow Passage ◽  
Output Pressure ◽  
Air Chamber

AbstractRecently pneumatic-driven soft robots have been widely developed. Usually, the operating principle of this robot is the inflation and deflation of elastic inflatable chambers by air pressure. Some soft robots need rapid and periodic inflation and deflation of their air chambers to generate continuous motion such as progress motion or rotational motion. However, if the soft robot needs to operate far from the air pressure source, long air tubes are required to supply air pressure to its air chambers. As a result, there is a large delay in supplying air pressure to the air chamber, and the motion of the robot slows down. In this paper, we propose a compact device that changes its airflow passages by self-excited motion generated by a supply of continuous airflow. The diameter and the length of the device are 20 and 50 mm, respectively, and can be driven in a small pipe. Our proposed in-pipe mobile robot is connected to the device and can move in a small pipe by dragging the device into it. To apply the device widely to other soft robots, we also discuss a method of adjusting the output pressure and motion frequency.

scholarly journals Fundamentals of soft robot locomotion

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (130) ◽  
pp. 20170101 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Calisti ◽  
G. Picardi ◽  
C. Laschi
Keyword(s):  
Deformable Body ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Reference Guide ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Research Stage ◽  
Soft Manipulation

Soft robotics and its related technologies enable robot abilities in several robotics domains including, but not exclusively related to, manipulation, manufacturing, human–robot interaction and locomotion. Although field applications have emerged for soft manipulation and human–robot interaction, mobile soft robots appear to remain in the research stage, involving the somehow conflictual goals of having a deformable body and exerting forces on the environment to achieve locomotion. This paper aims to provide a reference guide for researchers approaching mobile soft robotics, to describe the underlying principles of soft robot locomotion with its pros and cons, and to envisage applications and further developments for mobile soft robotics.

scholarly journals Additive Manufacturing for Soft Robotics: Design and Fabrication of Airtight, Monolithic Bending PneuNets with Embedded Air Connectors

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianni Stano ◽  
Luca Arleo ◽  
Gianluca Percoco
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Wall Thickness ◽  
Chamber Wall ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Bending Performance ◽  
3D Print ◽  
Air Tightness ◽  
The Relationship

Air tightness is a challenging task for 3D-printed components, especially for fused filament fabrication (FFF), due to inherent issues, related to the layer-by-layer fabrication method. On the other hand, the capability of 3D print airtight cavities with complex shapes is very attractive for several emerging research fields, such as soft robotics. The present paper proposes a repeatable methodology to 3D print airtight soft actuators with embedded air connectors. The FFF process has been optimized to manufacture monolithic bending PneuNets (MBPs), an emerging class of soft robots. FFF has several advantages in soft robot fabrication: (i) it is a fully automated process which does not require manual tasks as for molding, (ii) it is one of the most ubiquitous and inexpensive (FFF 3D printers costs < $200) 3D-printing technologies, and (iii) more materials can be used in the same printing cycle which allows embedding of several elements in the soft robot body. Using commercial soft filaments and a dual-extruder 3D printer, at first, a novel air connector which can be easily embedded in each soft robot, made via FFF technology with a single printing cycle, has been fabricated and tested. This new embedded air connector (EAC) prevents air leaks at the interface between pneumatic pipe and soft robot and replaces the commercial air connections, often origin of leakages in soft robots. A subsequent experimental study using four different shapes of MBPs, each equipped with EAC, showed the way in which different design configurations can affect bending performance. By focusing on the best performing shape, among the tested ones, the authors studied the relationship between bending performance and air tightness, proving how the Design for Additive Manufacturing approach is essential for advanced applications involving FFF. In particular, the relationship between chamber wall thickness and printing parameters has been analyzed, the thickness of the walls has been studied from 1.6 to 1 mm while maintaining air tightness and improving the bending angle by 76.7% under a pressure of 4 bar. It emerged that the main printing parameter affecting chamber wall air tightness is the line width that, in conjunction with the wall thickness, can ensure air tightness of the soft actuator body.

scholarly journals Dielectric Elastomer Actuator for Soft Robotics Applications and Challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Hwan Youn ◽  
Seung Mo Jeong ◽  
Geonwoo Hwang ◽  
Hyunwoo Kim ◽  
Kyujin Hyeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Soft Robot ◽  
Optical Components ◽  
Dielectric Characteristics ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Soft Actuators

This paper reviews state-of-the-art dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and their future perspectives as soft actuators which have recently been considered as a key power generation component for soft robots. This paper begins with the introduction of the working principle of the dielectric elastomer actuators. Because the operation of DEA includes the physics of both mechanical viscoelastic properties and dielectric characteristics, we describe theoretical modeling methods for the DEA before introducing applications. In addition, the design of artificial muscles based on DEA is also introduced. This paper reviews four popular subjects for the application of DEA: soft robot hand, locomotion robots, wearable devices, and tunable optical components. Other potential applications and challenging issues are described in the conclusion.

scholarly journals Dielectric Elastomer Grippers

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
Mills Patel ◽  
Rudrax Khamar ◽  
Akshat Shah ◽  
Tej shah ◽  
Bhavik Soneji
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Artificial Muscle ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Soft Actuators

This paper appraisals state-of-the-art dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and their forthcoming standpoints as soft actuators which have freshly been considered as a crucial power generation module for soft robots. DEs behave as yielding capacitors, expanding in area and attenuation in thickness when a voltage is applied. The paper initiates with the explanation of working principle of dielectric elastomer grippers. Here the operation of DEAs include both physics and mechanical properties with its characteristics, we have describe methods for modelling and its introductory application. In inclusion, the artificial muscle based on DEA concept is also formally presented. This paper also elaborates DEAs popular application such as- Soft Robotics, Robotics grippers and artificial muscles.

scholarly journals Review on Blueprint of Designing Anti-Wetting Polymeric Membrane Surfaces for Enhanced Membrane Distillation Performance

Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saikat Sinha Ray ◽  
Hyung-Kae Lee ◽  
Young-Nam Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Membrane Distillation ◽  
Polymeric Membrane ◽  
Permeable Barrier ◽  
Membrane Surfaces ◽  
Working Principle

Recently, membrane distillation (MD) has emerged as a versatile technology for treating saline water and industrial wastewater. However, the long-term use of MD wets the polymeric membrane and prevents the membrane from working as a semi-permeable barrier. Currently, the concept of antiwetting interfaces has been utilized for reducing the wetting issue of MD. This review paper discusses the fundamentals and roles of surface energy and hierarchical structures on both the hydrophobic characteristics and wetting tolerance of MD membranes. Designing stable antiwetting interfaces with their basic working principle is illustrated with high scientific discussions. The capability of antiwetting surfaces in terms of their self-cleaning properties has also been demonstrated. This comprehensive review paper can be utilized as the fundamental basis for developing antiwetting surfaces to minimize fouling, as well as the wetting issue in the MD process.

Development of Experimental Devices for Tube Hydro-Forming

2011 ◽  
Vol 418-420 ◽  
pp. 1351-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Song Rong ◽  
Lian Fa Yang ◽  
Xian Chang Mao
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Experimental Device ◽  
Test Device ◽  
Pressure Source ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Tube Hydro Forming ◽  
The Development Trend

The exploitation of Tube Hydro-forming (THF) experimental device plays an important role on the development of THF technology. In this paper, some representative experimental devices are introduced, including device with outside pressure source and device with internal pressure source. The working principle, technical characteristics, sealing mode and pressurization way are compared and analyzed. Meanwhile, the development trend in exploitation of the test device is envisioned.

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