1,721,146 research outputs found
Embodied Intelligence in Soft Robotics Through Hardware Multifunctionality
Full text linkThe soft robotics community is currently wondering what the future of soft robotics is.
Therefore, it is very important to identify the directions in which the community should focus
its efforts to consolidate its impact. The identification of convincing applications is a priority,
especially to demonstrate that some achievements already represent an attractive
alternative to current technological approaches in specific scenarios. However, most of
the added value of soft robotics has been only theoretically grasped. Embodied
Intelligence, being of these theoretical principles, represents an interesting approach to
fully exploit soft robotic’s potential, but a pragmatic application of this theory still remains
difficult and very limited. A different design approach could be beneficial, i.e., the
integration of a certain degree of continuous adaptability in the hardware functionalities
of the robot, namely, a “flexible” design enabled by hardware components able to fulfill
multiple functionalities. In this paper this concept of flexible design is introduced along with
its main technological and theoretical basic elements. The potential of the approach is
demonstrated through a biological comparison and the feasibility is supported by practical
examples with state-of-the-art technologies
The octopus as paradigm for soft robotics
No full textLooking at an octopus from the roboticist view point it is easy to understand why it is considered a paradigmatic example for soft robotics: its arms are soft and deformable, they can bend in any direction, at any point along the arm; however, they can stiffen when needed and they can grasp and pull objects with considerable strength; the octopus does not have a large brain, yet it can control this huge amount of possible movements and motion parameters. These observations together with the growing need for robots in service tasks, in unstructured environments, in contact with humans, is leading to release the basic assumption of rigid parts in robotics and to the development of new enabling technologies for a new generation of soft robots for marine and surgical robotics
Fundamentals on the Use of Shape Memory Alloys in Soft Robotics
No full textThis chapter emphasizes the importance of a mechatronic approach to the design of soft robots. When talking about shape memory alloys (SMAs), a wide family of alloys that show two main peculiar characteristics: the shape memory effect (SME) and the superelastic effect (SE), is considered. After a phenomenological introduction, the thermomechanical behavior and different modeling approaches to describe the SME are illustrated. The first part of the chapter focuses on SMAs and used as a primer on the use of the special materials. SMA actuators design principles are discussed, aiding the choice of the mechanical design needed for specific applications, followed by an overview on the most common fabrication methods. The topics illustrated in the second part are used for general purposes, but they are more focused on the use of SMA technology in soft robotics. The chapter ends with practical examples of successful coupling of soft materials with SMAs
VARISA - A VARIable Stiffness soft robotics Arm based on inverse pneumatic actuators and differential drive fiber jamming
No full textPleasant to the Touch: By Emulating Nature, Scientists Hope to Find Innovative New Uses for Soft Robotics in Health-Care Technology
No full textOpen your Internet browser and search for videos showing the most advanced humanoid robots. Look at how they move and walk. Observe their motion and their interaction with the environment (the ground, users, target objects). Now, search for a video of your favorite sports player. Despite the undoubtedly great achievements of modern robotics, it will become quite evident that a lot of work still remains
Stiffening in soft robotics: A review of the state of the art
No full textThe need for building robots with soft materials emerged recently from considerations of the limitations of service robots in negotiating natural environments, from observation of the role of compliance in animals and plants [1], and even from the role attributed to the physical body in movement control and intelligence, in the so-called embodied intelligence or morphological computation paradigm [2]-[4]. The wide spread of soft robotics relies on numerous investigations of diverse materials and technologies for actuation and sensing, and on research of control techniques, all of which can serve the purpose of building robots with high deformability and compliance. But the core challenge of soft robotics research is, in fact, the variability and controllability of such deformability and compliance
A preliminary study on an innovative soft robotic artificial heart ventricle
No full textIn this work, we describe a soft robotic artificial heart ventricle whose novel pumping strategy is based on the programmable deformation of a fluid-containing and passive soft-shell. During pumping, the soft-shell collapses, showing the formation of inward folds that strongly contribute to the volumetric reduction of the soft-shell, thus to the pumping functionality. Our soft robotic artificial ventricle is a stand-alone system actuated by inverse pneumatic artificial muscles, that are arranged in a helical fashion around the soft-shell. We present a cable-driven soft pump as a study platform for preliminary investigation of the pumping strategy and the requirements for actuation. Three typologies of inverse pneumatic artificial muscles were fabricated and experimentally characterized as candidate actuators for the artificial ventricle. Finally, a ventricle prototype constituted by a soft-shell and an actuating system made of five inverse pneumatic actuators was designed and tested under physiologically relevant conditions of preload and afterload pressure. The experimental results demonstrated that our soft robotic artificial ventricle meets the functional requirements of a right heart ventricle operating in pulmonary circulation
On Intrinsic Safety of Soft Robots
No full textThe rapidly growing field of soft robotics owes its success to the vast vistas of possibilities they promise. They may be utilized as standalone systems or work in harmony with the existing robotic technologies. Being based on soft and/or flexible materials, soft robots have usually high dexterity and, at the same time, they are also often considered “intrinsically safe.” This is generally true and soft-bodied robots can be considered safer from a mechanical point of view, but this is sometimes improperly used. The identification of possible safety loopholes in soft robots is the subject of this paper. After a general overview of safety in robotics, we reported an overview of the main sources of unsafe conditions that may arise by the use of soft robotics technologies. Safety aspects are discussed in three categories: quasi-static, dynamic, and material failure. Some safety factors exclusive to soft robots such as whiplash-like effect and energy stored in highly strained elements are also introduced. Measures to avoid such unsafe conditions are presented such as establishing operational limits and introduction of inspection regimes and arrest systems
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