1
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Armanini C, Junge K, Johnson P, Whitfield C, Renda F, Calisti M, Hughes J. Soft robotics for farm to fork: applications in agriculture & farming. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2024; 19:021002. [PMID: 38250751 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad2084] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural tasks and environments range from harsh field conditions with semi-structured produce or animals, through to post-processing tasks in food-processing environments. From farm to fork, the development and application of soft robotics offers a plethora of potential uses. Robust yet compliant interactions between farm produce and machines will enable new capabilities and optimize existing processes. There is also an opportunity to explore how modeling tools used in soft robotics can be applied to improve our representation and understanding of the soft and compliant structures common in agriculture. In this review, we seek to highlight the potential for soft robotics technologies within the food system, and also the unique challenges that must be addressed when developing soft robotics systems for this problem domain. We conclude with an outlook on potential directions for meaningful and sustainable impact, and also how our outlook on both soft robotics and agriculture must evolve in order to achieve the required paradigm shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Armanini
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Kai Junge
- CREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philip Johnson
- Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Tech, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | | | - Federico Renda
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marcello Calisti
- Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Tech, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Josie Hughes
- CREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Del Dottore E, Mondini A, Rowe N, Mazzolai B. A growing soft robot with climbing plant-inspired adaptive behaviors for navigation in unstructured environments. Sci Robot 2024; 9:eadi5908. [PMID: 38232147 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adi5908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Self-growing robots are an emerging solution in soft robotics for navigating, exploring, and colonizing unstructured environments. However, their ability to grow and move in heterogeneous three-dimensional (3D) spaces, comparable with real-world conditions, is still developing. We present an autonomous growing robot that draws inspiration from the behavioral adaptive strategies of climbing plants to navigate unstructured environments. The robot mimics climbing plants' apical shoot to sense and coordinate additive adaptive growth via an embedded additive manufacturing mechanism and a sensorized tip. Growth orientation, comparable with tropisms in real plants, is dictated by external stimuli, including gravity, light, and shade. These are incorporated within a vector field method to implement the preferred adaptive behavior for a given environment and task, such as growth toward light and/or against gravity. We demonstrate the robot's ability to navigate through growth in relation to voids, potential supports, and thoroughfares in otherwise complex habitats. Adaptive twining around vertical supports can provide an escape from mechanical stress due to self-support, reduce energy expenditure for construction costs, and develop an anchorage point to support further growth and crossing gaps. The robot adapts its material printing parameters to develop a light body and fast growth to twine on supports or a tougher body to enable self-support and cross gaps. These features, typical of climbing plants, highlight a potential for adaptive robots and their on-demand manufacturing. They are especially promising for applications in exploring, monitoring, and interacting with unstructured environments or in the autonomous construction of complex infrastructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Del Dottore
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessio Mondini
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Nick Rowe
- AMAP Laboratory, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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3
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Del Dottore E, Mazzolai B. Perspectives on Computation in Plants. ARTIFICIAL LIFE 2023; 29:336-350. [PMID: 36787453 DOI: 10.1162/artl_a_00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plants thrive in virtually all natural and human-adapted environments and are becoming popular models for developing robotics systems because of their strategies of morphological and behavioral adaptation. Such adaptation and high plasticity offer new approaches for designing, modeling, and controlling artificial systems acting in unstructured scenarios. At the same time, the development of artifacts based on their working principles reveals how plants promote innovative approaches for preservation and management plans and opens new applications for engineering-driven plant science. Environmentally mediated growth patterns (e.g., tropisms) are clear examples of adaptive behaviors displayed through morphological phenotyping. Plants also create networks with other plants through subterranean roots-fungi symbiosis and use these networks to exchange resources or warning signals. This article discusses the functional behaviors of plants and shows the close similarities with a perceptron-like model that could act as a behavior-based control model in plants. We begin by analyzing communication rules and growth behaviors of plants; we then show how we translated plant behaviors into algorithmic solutions for bioinspired robot controllers; and finally, we discuss how those solutions can be extended to embrace original approaches to networking and robotics control architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.
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4
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Meder F, Baytekin B, Del Dottore E, Meroz Y, Tauber F, Walker I, Mazzolai B. A perspective on plant robotics: from bioinspiration to hybrid systems. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 18:015006. [PMID: 36351300 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aca198] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
As miscellaneous as the Plant Kingdom is, correspondingly diverse are the opportunities for taking inspiration from plants for innovations in science and engineering. Especially in robotics, properties like growth, adaptation to environments, ingenious materials, sustainability, and energy-effectiveness of plants provide an extremely rich source of inspiration to develop new technologies-and many of them are still in the beginning of being discovered. In the last decade, researchers have begun to reproduce complex plant functions leading to functionality that goes far beyond conventional robotics and this includes sustainability, resource saving, and eco-friendliness. This perspective drawn by specialists in different related disciplines provides a snapshot from the last decade of research in the field and draws conclusions on the current challenges, unanswered questions on plant functions, plant-inspired robots, bioinspired materials, and plant-hybrid systems looking ahead to the future of these research fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Meder
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Bilge Baytekin
- Department of Chemistry and UNAM National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Yasmine Meroz
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Falk Tauber
- Plant Biomechanics Group (PBG) Freiburg, Botanic Garden of the University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ian Walker
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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5
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Rogatinsky J, Gomatam K, Lim ZH, Lee M, Kinnicutt L, Duriez C, Thomson P, McDonald K, Ranzani T. A Collapsible Soft Actuator Facilitates Performance in Constrained Environments. ADVANCED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 4:2200085. [PMID: 37449010 PMCID: PMC10338025 DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202200085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Complex environments, such as those found in surgical and search-and-rescue applications, require soft devices to adapt to minimal space conditions without sacrificing the ability to complete dexterous tasks. Stacked Balloon Actuators (SBAs) are capable of large deformations despite folding nearly flat when deflated, making them ideal candidates for such applications. This paper presents the design, fabrication, modeling, and characterization of monolithic, inflatable, soft SBAs. Modeling is presented using analytical principles based on geometry, and then using conventional and real-time finite element methods. Both one and three degree-of-freedom (DoF) SBAs are fully characterized with regards to stroke, force, and workspace. Finally, three representative demonstrations show the SBA's small-aperture navigation, bracing, and workspace-enhancing capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Rogatinsky
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kiran Gomatam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Zi Heng Lim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Megan Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Lorenzo Kinnicutt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christian Duriez
- INRIA, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Team DEFROST University Lille, Lille F-59000, France
| | - Perry Thomson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin McDonald
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Tommaso Ranzani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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6
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Zhao J, Ma Y, Steinmetz NF, Bae J. Toward Plant Cyborgs: Hydrogels Incorporated onto Plant Tissues Enable Programmable Shape Control. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:961-966. [PMID: 35819363 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Engineered living materials (ELMs) that incorporate living organisms and synthetic materials enable advanced functional properties. Here, we seek to create plant cyborgs by combining plants or plant tissues with stimuli-responsive polymeric materials. Plant tissues with integrated shape control may find applications in regenerative medicine, and the shape control of living plants enables another dimension of adaptability and response to environmental threats, which can be applied to next-generation precision farming. In this work, we develop chemistry to integrate stimuli-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels with decellularized plant tissues assisted by 3D printing. We demonstrate programmable shape morphing in response to thermal cues and ultraviolet (UV) light. Specifically, by taking advantage of the extrusion-based 3D printing method, we deposit nanocomposite PNIPAM precursors onto silane-treated decellularized leaf surface with prescribed shapes and spatial control. When subjected to external stimuli, the strain mismatch generated between the swellable nanocomposite PNIPAM and nonswellable decellularized leaf enables folding and bending to occur. This strategy to integrate the plant tissues with stimuli-responsive hydrogels allows the control of leaf morphology, opening avenues for plant-based biosensors and soft actuators to enhance food security; such materials also may find applications in biomedicine as tissue-engineering scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Zhao
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Yifeng Ma
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Nicole F Steinmetz
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Institute for Materials Discovery and Design, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Jinhye Bae
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Material Science and Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.,Sustainable Power and Energy Center (SPEC), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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7
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Benureau FCY, Tani J. Morphological Development at the Evolutionary Timescale: Robotic Developmental Evolution. ARTIFICIAL LIFE 2022; 28:3-21. [PMID: 35287173 DOI: 10.1162/artl_a_00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Evolution and development operate at different timescales; generations for the one, a lifetime for the other. These two processes, the basis of much of life on earth, interact in many non-trivial ways, but their temporal hierarchy-evolution overarching development-is observed for most multicellular life forms. When designing robots, however, this tenet lifts: It becomes-however natural-a design choice. We propose to inverse this temporal hierarchy and design a developmental process happening at the phylogenetic timescale. Over a classic evolutionary search aimed at finding good gaits for tentacle 2D robots, we add a developmental process over the robots' morphologies. Within a generation, the morphology of the robots does not change. But from one generation to the next, the morphology develops. Much like we become bigger, stronger, and heavier as we age, our robots are bigger, stronger, and heavier with each passing generation. Our robots start with baby morphologies, and a few thousand generations later, end-up with adult ones. We show that this produces better and qualitatively different gaits than an evolutionary search with only adult robots, and that it prevents premature convergence by fostering exploration. In addition, we validate our method on voxel lattice 3D robots from the literature and compare it to a recent evolutionary developmental approach. Our method is conceptually simple, and it can be effective on small or large populations of robots, and intrinsic to the robot and its morphology, not the task or environment. Furthermore, by recasting the evolutionary search as a learning process, these results can be viewed in the context of developmental learning robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jun Tani
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
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8
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Meder F, Murali Babu SP, Mazzolai B. A Plant Tendril-Like Soft Robot That Grasps and Anchors by Exploiting its Material Arrangement. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3153713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Xiong X, Wang S, Xue L, Wang H, Cui J. Growing Strategy for Postmodifying Cross-Linked Polymers' Bulky Size, Shape, and Mechanical Properties. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:8473-8481. [PMID: 35129323 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c23954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are open systems that can incorporate externally provided nutrients to vary their appearances and properties, while synthetic materials normally have fixed sizes, shapes, and functions. Herein, we report a strategy for enabling cross-linked polymers to continuously grow with programmable bulky structures and properties. The growing strategy involves repeatable processes including swelling of polymerizable components into the cross-linked polymers, in situ polymerization of the components, and homogenization of the original and newborn polymer networks. Using acrylate-based polymers as an example, we demonstrate that homogenization allows the grown polymer materials to further integrate various polymerizable components to alternate their bulky properties. During the growth, the changes from elastomers to organogels and then to hydrogels with updated covalent-linked functions (i.e., photochromism and thermoresponsiveness) are shown. Since this growing strategy is applicable to different acrylate systems, we envision its great potential in the design of next-generation polymers, smartening systems, and postmodification of cross-linked polymer materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhong Xiong
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313001, China
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
- INM─Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sheng Wang
- INM─Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lulu Xue
- INM─Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Hong Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
| | - Jiaxi Cui
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313001, China
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
- INM─Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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10
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Lee J, Calvo P. Enacting Plant-Inspired Robotics. Front Neurorobot 2022; 15:772012. [PMID: 35173596 PMCID: PMC8841489 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.772012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants offer a source of bioinspiration for soft robotics. Nevertheless, a gap remains in designing robots based on the fundamental principles of plant intelligence, rooted in a non-centralized, modular architecture and a highly plastic phenotype. We contend that a holistic approach to plant bioinspiration—one that draws more fully on the features of plant intelligence and behavior—evidences the value of an enactivist perspective. This is because enactivism emphasizes not only features of embodiment such as material composition and morphology, but also autonomy as an important aspect of plant intelligence and behavior. The enactivist sense of autonomy concerns the dynamics of self-producing systems (such as plants) that create a distinction between themselves and a domain of interactions that bear on the conditions of viability of the system. This contrasts with the widespread, but diluted notion of autonomy that merely indicates the independent operability of a system for an arbitrary period. Different notions of autonomy are relevant for soft roboticists, for instance, when evaluating limitations on existing growing robots (“growbots”) that take bioinspiration from plants, but depend on a fixed source of energy and material provided by an external agent. More generally, plant-inspired robots serve as a case study for an enactivist approach to intelligence, while, correspondingly, enactivism calls attention to the possibility of non-zoological forms of intelligence embodied in a self-organizing, autonomous system.
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11
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Stachew E, Houette T, Gruber P. Root Systems Research for Bioinspired Resilient Design: A Concept Framework for Foundation and Coastal Engineering. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:548444. [PMID: 33981727 PMCID: PMC8107439 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.548444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous increase in population and human migration to urban and coastal areas leads to the expansion of built environments over natural habitats. Current infrastructure suffers from environmental changes and their impact on ecosystem services. Foundations are static anchoring structures dependent on soil compaction, which reduces water infiltration and increases flooding. Coastal infrastructure reduces wave action and landward erosion but alters natural habitat and sediment transport. On the other hand, root systems are multifunctional, resilient, biological structures that offer promising strategies for the design of civil and coastal infrastructure, such as adaptivity, multifunctionality, self-healing, mechanical and chemical soil attachment. Therefore, the biomimetic methodology is employed to abstract root strategies of interest for the design of building foundations and coastal infrastructures that prevent soil erosion, anchor structures, penetrate soils, and provide natural habitat. The strategies are described in a literature review on root biology, then these principles are abstracted from their biological context to show their potential for engineering transfer. After a review of current and developing technologies in both application fields, the abstracted strategies are translated into conceptual designs for foundation and coastal engineering. In addition to presenting the potential of root-inspired designs for both fields, this paper also showcases the main steps of the biomimetic methodology from the study of a biological system to the development of conceptual technical designs. In this way the paper also contributes to the development of a more strategic intersection between biology and engineering and provides a framework for further research and development projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Stachew
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
| | - Thibaut Houette
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
| | - Petra Gruber
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Myers School of Art and Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
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12
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Hartmann F, Baumgartner M, Kaltenbrunner M. Becoming Sustainable, The New Frontier in Soft Robotics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2004413. [PMID: 33336520 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The advancement of technology has a profound and far-reaching impact on the society, now penetrating all areas of life. From cradle to grave, one is supported by and depends on a wide range of electronic and robotic appliances, with an ever more intimate integration of the digital and biological spheres. These advances, however, often come at the price of negatively impacting our ecosystem, with growing demands on energy, contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution-from production to improper disposal. Mitigating these adverse effects is among the grand challenges of the society and at the forefront of materials research. The currently emerging forms of soft, biologically inspired electronics and robotics have the unique potential of becoming not only like their natural antitypes in performance and capabilities, but also in terms of their ecological footprint. This review outlines the rise of sustainable materials in soft and bioinspired robotics, targeting all robotic components from actuators to energy storage and electronics. The state-of-the-art in biobased robotics spans flourishing fields and applications ranging from microbots operating in vivo to biohybrid machines and fully biodegradable yet resilient actuators. These first steps initiate the evolution of robotics and guide them into a sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Hartmann
- Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology LIT, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
| | - Melanie Baumgartner
- Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology LIT, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
- Institute of Polymer Science, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
| | - Martin Kaltenbrunner
- Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology LIT, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Strasse 69, Linz, 4040, Austria
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13
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Adamatzky A, Nikolaidou A, Gandia A, Chiolerio A, Dehshibi MM. Reactive fungal wearable. Biosystems 2020; 199:104304. [PMID: 33246023 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Smart wearables sense and process information from the user's body and environment and report results of their analysis as electrical signals. Conventional electronic sensors and controllers are commonly, sometimes augmented by recent advances in soft electronics. Organic electronics and bioelectronics, especially with living substrates, offer a great opportunity to incorporate parallel sensing and information processing capabilities of natural systems into future and emerging wearables. Nowadays fungi are emerging as a promising candidate to produce sustainable textiles to be used as ecofriendly biowearables. To assess the sensing potential of fungal wearables we undertook laboratory experiments on electrical response of a hemp fabric colonised by oyster fungi Pleurotus ostreatus to mechanical stretching and stimulation with attractants and repellents. We have shown that it is possible to discern a nature of stimuli from the fungi electrical responses. The results paved a way towards future design of intelligent sensing patches to be used in reactive fungal wearables.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Nikolaidou
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK; Department of Architecture, UWE, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Alessandro Chiolerio
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK; Center for Sustainable Future Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Torino, Italy
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Dehshibi
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK; Department of Computer Science, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Soffiatti P, Rowe NP. Mechanical Innovations of a Climbing Cactus: Functional Insights for a New Generation of Growing Robots. Front Robot AI 2020; 7:64. [PMID: 33501232 PMCID: PMC7806016 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Climbing plants are being increasingly viewed as models for bioinspired growing robots capable of spanning voids and attaching to diverse substrates. We explore the functional traits of the climbing cactus Selenicereus setaceus (Cactaceae) from the Atlantic forest of Brazil and discuss the potential of these traits for robotics applications. The plant is capable of growing through highly unstructured habitats and attaching to variable substrates including soil, leaf litter, tree surfaces, rocks, and fine branches of tree canopies in wind-blown conditions. Stems develop highly variable cross-sectional geometries at different stages of growth. They include cylindrical basal stems, triangular climbing stems and apical star-shaped stems searching for supports. Searcher stems develop relatively rigid properties for a given cross-sectional area and are capable of spanning voids of up to 1 m. Optimization of rigidity in searcher stems provide some potential design ideas for additive engineering technologies where climbing robotic artifacts must limit materials and mass for curbing bending moments and buckling while climbing and searching. A two-step attachment mechanism involves deployment of recurved, multi-angled spines that grapple on to wide ranging surfaces holding the stem in place for more solid attachment via root growth from the stem. The cactus is an instructive example of how light mass searchers with a winged profile and two step attachment strategies can facilitate traversing voids and making reliable attachment to a wide range of supports and surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Soffiatti
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Parana State (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Nick P. Rowe
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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15
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Fiorello I, Del Dottore E, Tramacere F, Mazzolai B. Taking inspiration from climbing plants: methodologies and benchmarks-a review. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2020; 15:031001. [PMID: 32045368 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab7416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the major challenges in robotics and engineering is to develop efficient technological solutions that are able to cope with complex environments and unpredictable constraints. Taking inspiration from natural organisms is a well-known approach to tackling these issues. Climbing plants are an important, yet innovative, source of inspiration due to their ability to adapt to diverse habitats, and can be used as a model for developing robots and smart devices for exploration and monitoring, as well as for search and rescue operations. This review reports the main methodologies and approaches used by scientists to investigate and extract the features of climbing plants that are relevant to the artificial world in terms of adaptation, movement, and behaviour, and it summarizes the current available climbing plant-inspired engineering solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Fiorello
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy. Center for Micro-Biorobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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16
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Nave GK, Mitchell NT, Chan Dick JA, Schuessler T, Lagarrigue JA, Peleg O. Attraction, Dynamics, and Phase Transitions in Fire Ant Tower-Building. Front Robot AI 2020; 7:25. [PMID: 33501194 PMCID: PMC7806095 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insect species, and even some vertebrates, assemble their bodies to form multi-functional materials that combine sensing, computation, and actuation. The tower-building behavior of red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, presents a key example of this phenomenon of collective construction. While biological studies of collective construction focus on behavioral assays to measure the dynamics of formation and studies of swarm robotics focus on developing hardware that can assemble and interact, algorithms for designing such collective aggregations have been mostly overlooked. We address this gap by formulating an agent-based model for collective tower-building with a set of behavioral rules that incorporate local sensing of neighboring agents. We find that an attractive force makes tower building possible. Next, we explore the trade-offs between attraction and random motion to characterize the dynamics and phase transition of the tower building process. Lastly, we provide an optimization tool that may be used to design towers of specific shapes, mechanical loads, and dynamical properties, such as mechanical stability and mobility of the center of mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary K. Nave
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Nelson T. Mitchell
- Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Jordan A. Chan Dick
- Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Tyler Schuessler
- Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Joaquin A. Lagarrigue
- Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Orit Peleg
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States
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Talas SK, Baydere BA, Altinsoy T, Tutcu C, Samur E. Design and Development of a Growing Pneumatic Soft Robot. Soft Robot 2020; 7:521-533. [PMID: 32150509 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2019.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft continuum robots are getting more popular in areas such as minimally invasive surgery, search and rescue, and inspection due to their inherent compliance and flexibility. However, most of the conventional continuum robots still lack the ability to significantly change size and length. Growth as a means of robotic locomotion is a novel actuation method that can be used to overcome this disadvantage. In this study, we introduce a growing pneumatic soft robot made up of pressurized thin-walled tubings that can move in three-dimensional space with an extension ratio only limited by manufacturing capabilities. Besides the ability to grow from the tip, this design provides active steering by controlling the speed of each tubing separately, controllable stiffness that can be changed during motion, and capability to carry a tool channel. We present models to estimate tip force and position and experimentally verify the force model and robot kinematics. Open-loop speed controller has an overall root mean square error of 2.69% for speeds between 20 and 300 mm/s. The position controller based on the kinematic model has a mean positioning error of 13.9 mm at 100 mm and 22.6 mm at 200 mm longitudinal distance. Robot can produce a tip force of 20.1 N at 150 kPa tubing pressure and reach a maximum speed of 1490 mm/s at 100 kPa. We also demonstrate the navigation capabilities of the robot both in open field and in constrained environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seref Kemal Talas
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bora Alp Baydere
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Timur Altinsoy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem Tutcu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Evren Samur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Tutcu C, Baydere BA, Talas SK, Samur E. Quasi-static modeling of a novel growing soft-continuum robot. Int J Rob Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0278364919893438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Soft-continuum robots attract researchers owing to their advantages over rigid-bodied robots such as adaptation of the flexible structure to tortuous environments, and compliant contact mechanics. The need for new modeling methods to attain precise control for such systems has emerged from the recent rapid progress in soft robotics. This article presents a quasi-static model for a growing soft-continuum robot that is propelled via thin-walled inflated tubes, and steered by the difference between tube lengths. Therefore, the robot shaft is modeled as a series of inflated beams under deformation. A quasi-static model coupled with a kinematic model is developed to accurately position the end effector while accounting for the inflated beam stiffness and end-effector loads. The proposed model calculates control parameters, namely tube lengths and tendon tensions required to maintain the end effector at a certain position. Tip deflection due to end-effector loading is calculated and kinematic model inputs are updated to correct positioning error caused by shaft deformation. The model is simulated for the soft-continuum robot moving on a path to show the change in model parameters for various end-effector positions. Results demonstrate the significance of including pressurized tube stiffness in the model for growing robots of similar type. Second, the need for tendons in addition to pneumatic actuation is emphasized for accurate positioning of the end effector under loading. The proposed model offers a potential method for simulation and control of similar growing soft-continuum robots presented in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem Tutcu
- Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Del Dottore E, Mondini A, Sadeghi A, Mazzolai B. Characterization of the Growing From the Tip as Robot Locomotion Strategy. Front Robot AI 2019; 6:45. [PMID: 33501061 PMCID: PMC7805678 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing robots are a new class of robots able to move in the environment exploiting a growing from the tip process (movement by growing). Thanks to this property, these robots are able to navigate 3D environments while negotiating confined spaces and large voids by adapting their body. During the exploration of the environment, the tip of the robot is able to move in any direction and can be kinematically considered as a non-holonomic mobile system. In this paper, we show the kinematics of robot growing at its tip level. We also present the affordable workspace analyzed by an evaluation of feasible trajectories toward target poses. The geometrical key parameters imposing constraints on growing robots' workspace are discussed, in view of facing different possible application scenarios. The proposed kinematics was applied to a plant-inspired growing robot moving in a 3D environment in simulation, obtaining ~2 cm error after 1 m of displacement. With appropriate parametrization, the proposed kinematic model is able to describe the motion from the tip in robots able to grow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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Must I, Sinibaldi E, Mazzolai B. A variable-stiffness tendril-like soft robot based on reversible osmotic actuation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:344. [PMID: 30664648 PMCID: PMC6341089 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft robots hold promise for well-matched interactions with delicate objects, humans and unstructured environments owing to their intrinsic material compliance. Movement and stiffness modulation, which is challenging yet needed for an effective demonstration, can be devised by drawing inspiration from plants. Plants use a coordinated and reversible modulation of intracellular turgor (pressure) to tune their stiffness and achieve macroscopic movements. Plant-inspired osmotic actuation was recently proposed, yet reversibility is still an open issue hampering its implementation, also in soft robotics. Here we show a reversible osmotic actuation strategy based on the electrosorption of ions on flexible porous carbon electrodes driven at low input voltages (1.3 V). We demonstrate reversible stiffening (~5-fold increase) and actuation (~500 deg rotation) of a tendril-like soft robot (diameter ~1 mm). Our approach highlights the potential of plant-inspired technologies for developing soft robots based on biocompatible materials and safe voltages making them appealing for prospective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrek Must
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Viale R. Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Edoardo Sinibaldi
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Viale R. Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Viale R. Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
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