1
|
Ren Z, Sitti M. Design and build of small-scale magnetic soft-bodied robots with multimodal locomotion. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:441-486. [PMID: 38097687 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00916-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Small-scale magnetic soft-bodied robots can be designed to operate based on different locomotion modes to navigate and function inside unstructured, confined and varying environments. These soft millirobots may be useful for medical applications where the robots are tasked with moving inside the human body. Here we cover the entire process of developing small-scale magnetic soft-bodied millirobots with multimodal locomotion capability, including robot design, material preparation, robot fabrication, locomotion control and locomotion optimization. We describe in detail the design, fabrication and control of a sheet-shaped soft millirobot with 12 different locomotion modes for traversing different terrains, an ephyra jellyfish-inspired soft millirobot that can manipulate objects in liquids through various swimming modes, a larval zebrafish-inspired soft millirobot that can adjust its body stiffness for efficient propulsion in different swimming speeds and a dual stimuli-responsive sheet-shaped soft millirobot that can switch its locomotion modes automatically by responding to changes in the environmental temperature. The procedure is aimed at users with basic expertise in soft robot development. The procedure requires from a few days to several weeks to complete, depending on the degree of characterization required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Ren
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Patadiya J, Gawande A, Joshi G, Kandasubramanian B. Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Polymer Composites for Futuristic Technology. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c03083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jigar Patadiya
- Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DU), Ministry of
Defence, Girinagar, Pune, 411025 India
| | - Adwait Gawande
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DU), Ministry
of Defence, Girinagar, Pune 411025 India
| | - Ganapati Joshi
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DU), Ministry
of Defence, Girinagar, Pune 411025 India
| | - Balasubramanian Kandasubramanian
- Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DU), Ministry of
Defence, Girinagar, Pune, 411025 India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
SUMMARYRobots of next-generation physically interact with the world rather than be caged in a controlled area, and they need to make contact with the open-ended environment to perform their task. Compliant robot links offer intrinsic mechanical compliance for addressing the safety issue for physical human–robot interactions (pHRI). However, many important research questions are yet to be answered. For instance, how do system parameters, for example, mechanical compliance, motor torque, impact velocities, and so on, affect the impact force? how to formulate system impact dynamics of compliant robots, and how to size their geometric dimensions to maximize impact force reduction. In this paper, we present a parametric study of compliant link (CL) design for safe pHRI. We first present a theoretical model of the pHRI system that is comprised of robot dynamics, an impact contact model, and dummy head dynamics. After experimentally validating the theoretical model, we then systematically study the effects of CL parameters on the impact force in more detail. Specifically, we explore how the design and actuation parameters affect the impact force of pHRI system. Based on the parametric studies of the CL design, we propose a step-by-step process and a list of concrete guidelines for designing CL with safety constraints in pHRI. We further conduct a simulation case study to validate this design process and design guidelines.
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Intelligence of physical agents, such as human-made (e.g., robots, autonomous cars) and biological (e.g., animals, plants) ones, is not only enabled by their computational intelligence (CI) in their brain, but also by their physical intelligence (PI) encoded in their body. Therefore, it is essential to advance the PI of human-made agents as much as possible, in addition to their CI, to operate them in unstructured and complex real-world environments like the biological agents. This article gives a perspective on what PI paradigm is, when PI can be more significant and dominant in physical and biological agents at different length scales and how bioinspired and abstract PI methods can be created in agent bodies. PI paradigm aims to synergize and merge many research fields, such as mechanics, materials science, robotics, mechanical design, fluidics, active matter, biology, self-assembly and collective systems, to enable advanced PI capabilities in human-made agent bodies, comparable to the ones observed in biological organisms. Such capabilities would progress the future robots and other machines beyond what can be realized using the current frameworks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jang JH, Hong SB, Kim JG, Goo NS, Yu WR. Accelerated Testing Method for Predicting Long-Term Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Shape Memory Polymer Composites in a Low Earth Orbit Environment. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13101628. [PMID: 34067909 PMCID: PMC8156318 DOI: 10.3390/polym13101628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon fiber-reinforced shape memory polymer composites (CF-SMPCs) have been researched as a potential next-generation material for aerospace application, due to their lightweight and self-deployable properties. To this end, the mechanical properties of CF-SMPCs, including long-term durability, must be characterized in aerospace environments. In this study, the storage modulus of CF-SMPCs was investigated in a simulation of a low Earth orbit (LEO) environment involving three harsh conditions: high vacuum, and atomic oxygen (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. CF-SMPCs in a LEO environment degrade over time due to temperature extremes and matrix erosion by AO. The opposite behavior was observed in our experiments, due to crosslinking induced by AO and UV light exposure in the LEO environment. The effects of the three harsh conditions on the properties of CF-SMPCs were characterized individually, using accelerated tests conducted at various temperatures in a space environment chamber, and were then combined using the time–temperature superposition principle. The long-term mechanical behavior of CF-SMPCs in the LEO environment was then predicted by the linear product of the shift factors obtained from the three accelerated tests. The results also indicated only a slight change in the shape memory performance of the CF-SMPCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joon-Hyeok Jang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Institute of Advanced Materials (RIAM), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.-H.J.); (S.-B.H.)
| | - Seok-Bin Hong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Institute of Advanced Materials (RIAM), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.-H.J.); (S.-B.H.)
| | - Jin-Gyun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering (Integrated Engineering), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 17104, Korea;
| | - Nam-Seo Goo
- Department of Advanced Technology Fusion, Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea;
| | - Woong-Ryeol Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Institute of Advanced Materials (RIAM), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.-H.J.); (S.-B.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-880-9096
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang T, Ren Z, Hu W, Li M, Sitti M. Effect of body stiffness distribution on larval fish-like efficient undulatory swimming. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/19/eabf7364. [PMID: 33952525 PMCID: PMC8099186 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf7364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Energy-efficient propulsion is a critical design target for robotic swimmers. Although previous studies have pointed out the importance of nonuniform body bending stiffness distribution (k) in improving the undulatory swimming efficiency of adult fish-like robots in the inertial flow regime, whether such an elastic mechanism is beneficial in the intermediate flow regime remains elusive. Hence, we develop a class of untethered soft milliswimmers consisting of a magnetic composite head and a passive elastic body with different k These robots realize larval zebrafish-like undulatory swimming at the same scale. Investigations reveal that uniform k and high swimming frequency (60 to 100 Hz) are favorable to improve their efficiency. A shape memory polymer-based milliswimmer with tunable k on the fly confirms such findings. Such acquired knowledge can guide the design of energy-efficient leading edge-driven soft undulatory milliswimmers for future environmental and biomedical applications in the same flow regime.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianlu Wang
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ziyu Ren
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wenqi Hu
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Mingtong Li
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, 34450 Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chandrasekaran K, Somayaji A, Thondiyath A. A Novel Design for a Compliant Mechanism Based Variable Stiffness Grasper Through Structure Modulation. J Med Device 2021. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4049309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Robots utilize graspers for interacting with an environment. Conventional robotic graspers have difficulty conforming to objects of varied shape and exerting varying grasping forces. Variable stiffness soft robotic graspers provide these features but face issues such as slow response time, the requirement of external power packs for operation and low variation of stiffness. A variable stiffness compliant robotic grasper that is simple in design and operation would improve end effectors used in assistive robotics and prostheses for handling a wide array of objects. In this paper, we present the design of a novel variable stiffness compliant robotic grasper that can change its stiffness through structural transformations. Current designs utilizing structural transformations do not provide shape conformance while grasping objects. We propose a design for a soft robotic grasper using the concept of stability of truss structures. This design is capable of partially conforming to the surface of an object being grasped and can rapidly vary its stiffness utilizing compliant rotating elements embedded in the grasper jaws. The grasper behavior is modeled using finite element analysis (FEA) and validated experimentally. Our results demonstrate that structural transformation of flexible elements is a potential solution for achieving variable stiffness in a grasper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Chandrasekaran
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Adarsh Somayaji
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Asokan Thondiyath
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zhang J, Sheng J, O'Neill CT, Walsh CJ, Wood RJ, Ryu JH, Desai JP, Yip MC. Robotic Artificial Muscles: Current Progress and Future Perspectives. IEEE T ROBOT 2019. [DOI: 10.1109/tro.2019.2894371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
9
|
Schmitt F, Piccin O, Barbé L, Bayle B. Soft Robots Manufacturing: A Review. Front Robot AI 2018; 5:84. [PMID: 33500963 PMCID: PMC7805834 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2018.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing interest in soft robots comes from the new possibilities offered by these systems to cope with problems that cannot be addressed by robots built from rigid bodies. Many innovative solutions have been developed in recent years to design soft components and systems. They all demonstrate how soft robotics development is closely dependent on advanced manufacturing processes. This review aims at giving an insight on the current state of the art in soft robotics manufacturing. It first puts in light the elementary components that can be used to develop soft actuators, whether they use fluids, shape memory alloys, electro-active polymers or stimuli-responsive materials. Other types of elementary components, such as soft smart structures or soft-rigid hybrid systems, are then presented. The second part of this review deals with the manufacturing methods used to build complete soft structures. It includes molding, with possibly reinforcements and inclusions, additive manufacturing, thin-film manufacturing, shape deposition manufacturing, and bonding. The paper conclusions sums up the pros and cons of the presented techniques, and open to developing topics such as design methods for soft robotics and sensing technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- François Schmitt
- ICube laboratory, University of Strasbourg/INSA Strasbourg/CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Piccin
- ICube laboratory, University of Strasbourg/INSA Strasbourg/CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurent Barbé
- ICube laboratory, University of Strasbourg/INSA Strasbourg/CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Bernard Bayle
- ICube laboratory, University of Strasbourg/INSA Strasbourg/CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Firouzeh A, Salerno M, Paik J. Stiffness Control With Shape Memory Polymer in Underactuated Robotic Origamis. IEEE T ROBOT 2017. [DOI: 10.1109/tro.2017.2692266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
11
|
Controllable load sharing for soft adhesive interfaces on three-dimensional surfaces. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E4344-E4353. [PMID: 28507143 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620344114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For adhering to three-dimensional (3D) surfaces or objects, current adhesion systems are limited by a fundamental trade-off between 3D surface conformability and high adhesion strength. This limitation arises from the need for a soft, mechanically compliant interface, which enables conformability to nonflat and irregularly shaped surfaces but significantly reduces the interfacial fracture strength. In this work, we overcome this trade-off with an adhesion-based soft-gripping system that exhibits enhanced fracture strength without sacrificing conformability to nonplanar 3D surfaces. Composed of a gecko-inspired elastomeric microfibrillar adhesive membrane supported by a pressure-controlled deformable gripper body, the proposed soft-gripping system controls the bonding strength by changing its internal pressure and exploiting the mechanics of interfacial equal load sharing. The soft adhesion system can use up to ∼26% of the maximum adhesion of the fibrillar membrane, which is 14× higher than the adhering membrane without load sharing. Our proposed load-sharing method suggests a paradigm for soft adhesion-based gripping and transfer-printing systems that achieves area scaling similar to that of a natural gecko footpad.
Collapse
|
12
|
Hines L, Petersen K, Lum GZ, Sitti M. Soft Actuators for Small-Scale Robotics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1603483. [PMID: 28032926 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 492] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This review comprises a detailed survey of ongoing methodologies for soft actuators, highlighting approaches suitable for nanometer- to centimeter-scale robotic applications. Soft robots present a special design challenge in that their actuation and sensing mechanisms are often highly integrated with the robot body and overall functionality. When less than a centimeter, they belong to an even more special subcategory of robots or devices, in that they often lack on-board power, sensing, computation, and control. Soft, active materials are particularly well suited for this task, with a wide range of stimulants and a number of impressive examples, demonstrating large deformations, high motion complexities, and varied multifunctionality. Recent research includes both the development of new materials and composites, as well as novel implementations leveraging the unique properties of soft materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Hines
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Guo Zhan Lum
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Paik J. Soft Components for Soft Robots. Soft Robot 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44506-8_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
|
14
|
Hines L, Campolo D, Sitti M. Liftoff of a Motor-Driven, Flapping-Wing Microaerial Vehicle Capable of Resonance. IEEE T ROBOT 2014. [DOI: 10.1109/tro.2013.2280057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
|