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Xu Q, Zhang K, Ying C, Xie H, Chen J, E S. Origami-Inspired Vacuum-Actuated Foldable Actuator Enabled Biomimetic Worm-like Soft Crawling Robot. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:541. [PMID: 39329563 PMCID: PMC11430112 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9090541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of a soft crawling robot (SCR) capable of quick folding and recovery has important application value in the field of biomimetic engineering. This article proposes an origami-inspired vacuum-actuated foldable soft crawling robot (OVFSCR), which is composed of entirely soft foldable mirrored origami actuators with a Kresling crease pattern, and possesses capabilities of realizing multimodal locomotion incorporating crawling, climbing, and turning movements. The OVFSCR is characterized by producing periodically foldable and restorable body deformation, and its asymmetric structural design of low front and high rear hexahedral feet creates a friction difference between the two feet and contact surface to enable unidirectional movement. Combining an actuation control sequence with an asymmetrical structural design, the body deformation and feet in contact with ground can be coordinated to realize quick continuous forward crawling locomotion. Furthermore, an efficient dynamic model is developed to characterize the OVFSCR's motion capability. The robot demonstrates multifunctional characteristics, including crawling on a flat surface at an average speed of 11.9 mm/s, climbing a slope of 3°, carrying a certain payload, navigating inside straight and curved round tubes, removing obstacles, and traversing different media. It is revealed that the OVFSCR can imitate contractile deformation and crawling mode exhibited by soft biological worms. Our study contributes to paving avenues for practical applications in adaptive navigation, exploration, and inspection of soft robots in some uncharted territory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jinxin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Rail Transit Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Technology & Equipment of Zhejiang Province, Department of Robotics Engineering, College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Q.X.); (K.Z.); (C.Y.); (H.X.)
| | - Shiju E
- Key Laboratory of Urban Rail Transit Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Technology & Equipment of Zhejiang Province, Department of Robotics Engineering, College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Q.X.); (K.Z.); (C.Y.); (H.X.)
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Yang Y, Xie Y, Liu J, Li Y, Chen F. 3D-Printed Origami Actuators for a Multianimal-Inspired Soft Robot with Amphibious Locomotion and Tongue Hunting. Soft Robot 2024; 11:650-669. [PMID: 38330424 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The field of soft robotics is rapidly evolving, and there is a growing interest in developing soft robots with bioinspired features for use in various applications. This research presented the design and development of 3D-printed origami actuators for a soft robot with amphibious locomotion and tongue hunting capabilities. Two different types of programmable origami actuators were designed and manufactured, namely Z-shaped and twist tower actuators. In addition, two actuator variations were developed based on the Z-shaped actuator, including the pelvic fin and the coiling/uncoiling types. The Z-shaped actuators were used for the rear legs to facilitate the locomotion of the water-like frogs. Meanwhile, the twisted tower actuators were used for the rotation joints in the forelegs and for locomotion on land. The pelvic fin actuator was developed to imitate the land locomotion of the mudskipper, and the coiling/uncoiling actuator was designed for tongue hunting motion. The origami actuators and soft robot prototype were tested through a series of experiments, which showed that the robot was capable of efficiently moving in water and on land and performing tongue hunting motions. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of these actuators in producing the desired motions and provide insights into the potential of applying 3D-printed origami actuators in the development of soft robots with bioinspired features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Meteorological Exploration Robot, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Xie
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Meteorological Exploration Robot, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Meteorological Exploration Robot, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Tianchang Research Institute of NUIST, Tianchang, Anhui, China
| | - Yunquan Li
- Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Robotics Institute, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Dikici Y, Daltorio K, Akkus O. Nodes for modes: nodal honeycomb metamaterial enables a soft robot with multimodal locomotion. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2024; 19:046002. [PMID: 38631362 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad3ff8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Soft-bodied animals, such as worms and snakes, use many muscles in different ways to traverse unstructured environments and inspire tools for accessing confined spaces. They demonstrate versatility of locomotion which is essential for adaptation to changing terrain conditions. However, replicating such versatility in untethered soft-bodied robots with multimodal locomotion capabilities have been challenging due to complex fabrication processes and limitations of soft body structures to accommodate hardware such as actuators, batteries and circuit boards. Here, we present MetaCrawler, a 3D printed metamaterial soft robot designed for multimodal and omnidirectional locomotion. Our design approach facilitated an easy fabrication process through a discrete assembly of a modular nodal honeycomb lattice with soft and hard components. A crucial benefit of the nodal honeycomb architecture is the ability of its hard components, nodes, to accommodate a distributed actuation system, comprising servomotors, control circuits, and batteries. Enabled by this distributed actuation, MetaCrawler achieves five locomotion modes: peristalsis, sidewinding, sideways translation, turn-in-place, and anguilliform. Demonstrations showcase MetaCrawler's adaptability in confined channel navigation, vertical traversing, and maze exploration. This soft robotic system holds the potential to offer easy-to-fabricate and accessible solutions for multimodal locomotion in applications such as search and rescue, pipeline inspection, and space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Dikici
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bartın University, Bartın, Turkey
| | - Kathryn Daltorio
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Ozan Akkus
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
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Xu Y, Ju K, Zhang C. A Wrist-Inspired Magneto-Pneumatic Hybrid-Driven Soft Actuator with Bidirectional Torsion. CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS 2024; 5:0111. [PMID: 38558952 PMCID: PMC10981929 DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
A novel wrist-inspired soft actuator, which is driven by a magneto-pneumatic hybrid system and based on a Kresling origami unit, is proposed. The geometric model, kinematic analysis model, and quasistatic analysis model of the Kresling origami unit are presented. A key focus is on the formulation and investigation of the variation in rotation angle using the kinematic analysis model. A wrist-inspired soft actuator is designed, and its quasistatic characteristics are validated through various experiments. The paper proposes an innovative magneto-pneumatic hybrid actuation method, capable of achieving bidirectional torsion. This actuation method is experimentally validated, demonstrating the actuator's ability to maintain 3 steady states and its capability for bidirectional torsion deformation. Furthermore, the paper highlights the potential of the Kresling origami unit in designing soft actuators capable of achieving large rotation angles. For instance, an actuator with 6 sides (n = 6) is shown to achieve a rotation angle of 239.5°, and its rotation ratio exceeds 277°, about twice the largest one reported in other literature. The actuator offers a practical and effective solution for bidirectional torsion deformation in soft robotic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
- Huanjiang Laboratory, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
| | - Kaiwen Ju
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
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Zhu M, Dai J, Feng Y. Robust Grasping of a Variable Stiffness Soft Gripper in High-Speed Motion Based on Reinforcement Learning. Soft Robot 2024; 11:95-104. [PMID: 37477655 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Industrial robots are widely deployed to perform pick-and-place tasks at high speeds to minimize manufacturing time and boost productivity. When dealing with delicate or fragile goods, soft robotic grippers are better end effectors than rigid grippers due to their softness and safe interaction. However, high-speed motion causes the soft robotic gripper to vibrate, leading to damage of the objects or failed grasping. Soft grippers with variable stiffness are considered to be effective in suppressing vibrations by adding damping devices, but it is quite challenging to compromise between stiffness and compliance. In this article, a controller based on deep reinforcement learning is proposed to control the stiffness of the soft robotic gripper, which can accurately suppress the vibration with only a minor influence on its compliance and softness. The proposed controller is a real-time vibration control strategy, which estimates the output of the controller based on the current operating environment. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller, experiments were done with a UR5 robotic arm. For different situations, experimental results show that the proposed controller responds quickly and reduces the amplitude of the oscillation substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Zhu
- School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Junyue Dai
- Information Engineering College, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Information Engineering College, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
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Sui X, Lai M, Qi J, Yang Z, Zhao N, Zhao J, Cai H, Zhu Y. A Fluid-Driven Loop-Type Modular Soft Robot with Integrated Locomotion and Manipulation Capability. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:390. [PMID: 37754141 PMCID: PMC10526948 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8050390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In nature, some animals, such as snakes and octopuses, use their limited body structure to conduct various complicated tasks not only for locomotion but also for hunting. Their body segments seem to possess the intelligence to adapt to environments and tasks. Inspired by nature, a modular soft robot with integrated locomotion and manipulation abilities is presented in this paper. A soft modular robot is assembled using several homogeneous cubic pneumatic soft actuator units made of silicone rubber. Both a mathematical model and backpropagation neural network are established to describe the nonlinear deformation of the soft actuator unit. The locomotion process of the chain-type soft robot is analyzed to provide a general rhythmic control principle for modular soft robots. A vision sensor is adopted to control the locomotion and manipulation processes of the modular soft robot in a closed loop. The experimental results indicate that the modular soft robot put forward in this paper has both locomotion and manipulation abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Mingzhu Lai
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China;
| | - Jian Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Zhiyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Ning Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Hegao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
| | - Yanhe Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (X.S.); (J.Q.); (Z.Y.); (N.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.C.)
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Fang Z, Wu Y, Su Y, Yi J, Liu S, Wang Z. Omnidirectional compliance on cross-linked actuator coordination enables simultaneous multi-functions of soft modular robots. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12116. [PMID: 37495618 PMCID: PMC10372032 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Earthworms have entirely soft bodies mainly composed of circular and longitudinal muscle bundles but can handle the complexity of unstructured environments with exceptional multifunctionality. Soft robots are naturally appropriate for mimicking soft animal structures thanks to their inherent compliance. Here, we explore the new possibility of using this compliance to coordinate the actuation movements of single-type soft actuators for not only high adaptability but the simultaneous multifunctionality of soft robots. A cross-linked actuator coordination mechanism is proposed and explained with a novel conceptual design of a cross-linked network, characterization of modular coordinated kinematics, and a modular control strategy for multiple functions. We model and analyze the motion patterns for these functions, including grabbing, manipulation, and locomotion. This further enables the combination of simultaneous multi-functions with this very simple actuator network structure. In this way, a soft modular robot is developed with demonstrations of a novel continuous-transportation mode, for which multiple objects could be simultaneously transported in unstructured environments with either mobile manipulation or pick-and-place operation. A comprehensive workflow is presented to elaborate the cross-linked actuator coordination concept, analytical modeling, modular control strategy, experimental validation, and multi-functional applications. Our understanding of actuator coordination inspires new soft robotic designs for wider robotic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonggui Fang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics and Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yige Wu
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yinyin Su
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, China
| | - Juan Yi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics and Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Sicong Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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