Browse Topic: Soft robotics

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4D Printing of Shape Memory PolymersTBMG-5219112/01/2024
Researchers have successfully demonstrated the four-dimensional (4D) printing of shape memory polymers in submicron dimensions that are comparable to the wavelength of visible light. 4D printing enables 3D-printed structures to change their configurations over time and is used in a variety of fields such as soft robotics, flexible electronics, and medical devices.
Soft Robotic System for Brain SurgeryTBMG-4977701/01/2024
Researchers have laid the groundwork for a soft robotic tool and control system that could grant surgeons an unprecedented degree of maneuverability within the brain. A recent study demonstrates that the new system is both intuitive and highly accurate. The early results suggest that, with further development, the robot could one day speed up and improve the efficacy of minimally invasive surgeries for life-threatening brain aneurysms and other serious conditions.
3D Printing Materials with Tunable Mechanical PropertiesTBMG-4691211/01/2022
Centimeter-Long Snail Robot Powered with LightTBMG-3980309/01/2021
Crawling by traveling deformation of a soft body is a widespread mode of locomotion — from microscopic nematodes, to earthworms, to gastropods. Animals across scales use it to move around different, often challenging environments. Snails, in particular, use mucus — a slippery, aqueous secretion — to control the interaction between their ventral foot and the surface. Their adhesive locomotion has a unique property: it can be used on different surfaces including wood, metal, glass, Teflon (PTFE), or sand in various configurations such as crawling upside-down.
5 Ws of Puncture-Proof Soft ElectronicsTBMG-3978809/01/2021
The durable soft electronics could be used in wearable electronics and soft robotics and could someday be part of a stretchable smartphone.
Facility Focus: Worcester Polytechnic InstituteTBMG-3961408/01/2021
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was founded in 1865 and is the nation’s third-oldest private technological university. Located in Worcester, MA, WPI fosters research in areas from tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, to exploration of the technological and policy issues surrounding cybersecurity, to studies of issues as diverse as firefighter health and security and the fire safety challenges of green buildings.
Soft Robotic Gripper Based on Twining PlantsTBMG-3959208/01/2021
Scientists often look to nature for cues when designing robots — some robots mimic human hands while others simulate the actions of octopus arms or inchworms. Now, researchers have designed a soft robotic gripper that draws inspiration from an unusual source: pole beans. While pole beans and other twining plants use their touch-sensitive shoots to wrap themselves around supports like ropes and rods to grow upward, the new robot is designed to firmly but gently grasp objects as small as 1 millimeter in diameter.
4D Printing of Morphing StructuresTBMG-3849402/01/2021
Soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand are closer to reality with a new way to print shapeshifting materials. Researchers have developed a method to print objects that can be manipulated to take on alternate forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress.
Ultra-Thin, Battery-Free Strain Sensors for Industrial Robotic ArmsTBMG-3849202/01/2021
Fabricated using flexible, stretchable, and electrically conductive nanomaterials called MXenes, novel strain sensors were developed that are ultra-thin, battery-free, and can transmit data wirelessly. By controlling the surface textures of MXenes, researchers were able to control the sensing performance of strain sensors for various soft exoskeletons. The sensor design principles developed will significantly enhance the performance of electronic skins and soft robots.
Ultra-Thin, Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors Improve Robotic ArmsTBMG-3855002/01/2021
A research team from NUS, led by Assistant Professor Chen Po-Yen, has taken the first step toward improving the safety and precision of industrial robotic arms by developing a new range of nanomaterial strain sensors that are 10 times more sensitive when measuring minute movements, compared to existing technology.
Linking Materials May Transform Robots Made of RobotsTBMG-3850102/01/2021
A method was developed that unifies the construction of varying types of mechanical metamaterials using a discrete lattice, or LEGO-like system, enabling the design of modular materials with properties tailored to their application. These building blocks and their resulting materials could lead to dynamic structures that can reconfigure on their own; for example, a swarm of robots could form a bridge to allow troops to cross a river. This capability would enhance military maneuverability and survivability of warfighters and equipment.
Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San DiegoTBMG-3821112/01/2020
Engineering at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla started in 1964 and 1965 with two broad applied science departments: one in the areas of aerospace engineering, solid mechanics, bioengineering and materials and the other in the areas of electronics, information theory, and radio astronomy. In 1997, the School of Engineering was renamed the Jacobs School of Engineering to honor Qualcomm founder and former UCSD engineering professor Irwin Jacobs and his wife.
Self-Healing, Recyclable, Shape Memory PolymersTBMG-3798411/01/2020
By tweaking the chemistry of a single polymer, researchers have created a family of synthetic materials that ranges in texture from ultra-soft to extremely rigid. The materials are 3D-printable, self-healing, recyclable, and naturally adhere to each other in air or underwater. These characteristics make them suited for more realistic prosthetics and soft robotics as well as broad military applications such as agile platforms for air vehicles and futuristic, self-healing aircraft wings.
Octopus-Inspired Soft Robotic ArmTBMG-3800311/01/2020
Two-thirds of an octopus’s neurons are in its arms, meaning each arm literally has a mind of its own. Octopus arms can untie knots, open childproof bottles, and wrap around prey of any shape or size. The hundreds of suckers that cover their arms can form strong seals, even on rough surfaces underwater.
3D-Printed Sweating Robot MuscleTBMG-3800711/01/2020
One of the hurdles for making enduring, adaptable, and agile robots is managing the robots’ internal temperature. If the high-torque-density motors and exothermic engines that power a robot overheat, the robot will cease to operate. This is a particular issue for soft robots made of synthetic materials. While more flexible, they hold their heat unlike metals, which dissipate heat quickly. An internal cooling technology, such as a fan, may not be much help because it would take up space inside the robot and add weight.
Integrated Microchips for Electronic SkinTBMG-3780110/01/2020
Human skin allows for interfacing with external physical environments through numerous receptors interconnected with the nervous system. Scientists have been trying to transfer these features to artificial skin, aiming at robotic applications. Operation of robotic systems heavily relies on electronic and magnetic field sensing functionalities required for positioning and orientation in space.
Soft Robotic Insect Survives Being Flattened by a FlyswatterTBMG-3763109/01/2020
Researchers have developed a soft robotic insect propelled at 3 cm per second by artificial muscles.
Thermally Conductive, Stretchable Rubber MaterialTBMG-3764909/01/2020
A thermally conductive rubber material was developed that represents a breakthrough for creating soft, stretchable machines and electronics. The new material, nicknamed “thubber,” is an electrically insulating composite that exhibits a combination of metal-like thermal conductivity and elasticity similar to soft, biological tissue that can stretch more than six times its initial length.
Wearable Strain Sensor Using Light TransmittanceTBMG-3744508/01/2020
Researchers have developed a wearable strain sensor based on the modulation of optical transmittance of a carbon nanotube (CNT)-embedded elastomer. The sensor is capable of sensitive, stable, and continuous measurement of physical signals.
4D Printing of Morphing StructuresTBMG-3739408/01/2020
Soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand are closer to reality with a new way to print shapeshifting materials. Researchers have developed a method to print objects that can be manipulated to take on alternate forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress.
Gripper Handles Freely Moving CablesTBMG-3738808/01/2020
For humans, it can be challenging to manipulate thin, flexible objects like ropes, wires, or cables. But if these problems are hard for humans, they are nearly impossible for robots. As a cable slides between the fingers, its shape is constantly changing and the robot’s fingers must be constantly sensing and adjusting the cable’s position and motion.
Process Creates Soft Actuated Objects Using Commercial Knitting MachinesTBMG-3738408/01/2020
Computationally controlled commercial knitting machines were used to create knitted objects that are actuated by tendons. New software makes it possible for the objects to emerge from the knitting machines in their desired shapes and with tendons already embedded. They can then be stuffed and the tendons attached to motors as necessary.
Soft Hardware for More Flexible RobotsTBMG-3700106/01/2020
Robots can be made from soft materials but the flexibility of such robots is limited by the inclusion of rigid sensors necessary for their control. Researchers have created embedded sensors that replace rigid sensors and offer the same functionality but with greater flexibility. Soft robots can be more adaptable and resilient than more traditional rigid designs. The team used machine learning techniques to create their design.
Guiding and Harnessing Transition Waves in Multi-Stable Mechanical StructuresTBMG-3685605/01/2020
A deployable structure can transition from a compact state to an expanded one. Such structures usually require rather complicated locking mechanisms to hold them in place. Today’s deployable structures aren’t always reliable or autonomous. Harnessing the domino effect, researchers have designed deployable systems that expand quickly with a small push and are stable and locked into place after deployment.
Aerospace & Defense Technology: April 202020AERP0404/01/2020
Coiled Spring Pins What Do They Do? How Do You Install Them? Ruggedizing Coaxial and Fiber Optic Cable Assemblies from Mechanical Strain Bringing Turbine Power to Small Aircraft Bringing Turbine Power to Small Aircraft Limiting Creep in Aerospace Materials Advances in Millimeter-Wave Isolator Design Launch Manufacturers into Stratospheric Operating Frequencies NASA Prepares for the Moon and Mars with Expanded Deep Space Network A Focal Plane Array and Electronics Model for CMOS and CCD Sensors in the AFIT Sensor and Scene Emulation Tool Developing an improved model capable of generating realistic synthetic data that represents a wide range of systems can lead to new algorithms and data exploitation techniques. Deformation Sensing in Soft Bio-Surrogate Materials Accurate measurement of deformations occurring within or on soft materials has recently generated interest for its benefits to the fields of soft robotics and wearable biomedical sensors. Real Time Physiological Status
Deformation Sensing in Soft Bio-Surrogate Materials20AERP04_0804/01/2020
Accurate measurement of deformations occurring within or on soft materials has recently generated interest for its benefits to the fields of soft robotics and wearable biomedical sensors. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC Deformation sensing in and on soft materials has garnered increased interest with the advancement of emerging technologies such as soft robotics, wearable computing, and biomedical applications. These applications have a need for quantification of stretching-contraction deformations along a single-axis as well as multi-directional deformation quantifications (i.e. bending, pressure, membrane stretch, planar and torsional shear). These measurement devices must conform to the movements of the device or component under test, which can be complex, involving multiple degrees-of-freedom and dynamic rates, while closely matching the mechanical properties of the system they are embedded in, such as skin, tissue, textiles, and soft actuators. For example, soft
Deformation Sensing in Soft Bio-Surrogate MaterialsTBMG-3660904/01/2020
Deformation sensing in and on soft materials has garnered increased interest with the advancement of emerging technologies such as soft robotics, wearable computing, and biomedical applications. These applications have a need for quantification of stretching-contraction deformations along a single-axis as well as multi-directional deformation quantifications (i.e. bending, pressure, membrane stretch, planar and torsional shear).
Guiding and Harnessing Transition Waves in Multi-Stable Mechanical StructuresTBMG-3636704/01/2020
A deployable structure can transition from a compact state to an expanded one. Such structures usually require rather complicated locking mechanisms to hold them in place. Today’s deployable structures aren’t always reliable or autonomous. Harnessing the domino effect, researchers have designed deployable systems that expand quickly with a small push and are stable and locked into place after deployment.
Liquid-Metal Wearable Pressure Sensor Created for Health Monitoring ApplicationsTBMG-3600902/01/2020
KAIST Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Skin-Like Sensors Bring a Human Touch to Wearable TechTBMG-3601102/01/2020
University of Toronto engineering researchers have developed a super stretchy, transparent, and self-powering sensor that records the complex sensations of human skin. Dubbed artificial ionic skin — or AISkin for short — the researchers believe the innovative properties of AISkin could lead to future advancements in wearable electronics, personal health care and robotics.
Robot Circulating Liquid Stores Energy and Provides PowerTBMG-3600302/01/2020
Humans and other complex organisms manage life through integrated systems. Humans store energy in fat reserves spread across the body and an intricate circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients to power trillions of cells. But with an untethered robot, things are much more segmented with batteries, motors, and cooling systems scattered throughout.
Soft, Skin-Like Structures for Robotic Locomotion and TransportationTBMG-3599902/01/2020
Stretchable, skin-like robots that can be rolled up and put in your pocket have been developed using a new way of embedding artificial muscles and electrical adhesion into soft materials. This new advance could create new thin and light robots for environmental monitoring and deployment in hazardous environments, robot grippers for delicate objects, and new wearable technologies.
Embedding Artificial Muscles into Soft MaterialsTBMG-3578501/01/2020
Stretchable skin-like robots that can be rolled up and put in your pocket have been developed by a team using a new way of embedding artificial muscles and electrical adhesion into soft materials. This new advance could create new thin and light robots for wearable technologies.
Toughening Stretchable Fibers Using a Metallic CoreTBMG-3543811/01/2019
Researchers have developed a fiber that combines the elasticity of rubber with the strength of a metal, resulting in a tougher material. The fibers consist of a gallium metal core surrounded by an elastic polymer sheath. When placed under stress, the fiber has the strength of the metal core. But when the metal breaks, the fiber doesn’t fail. Instead, the polymer sheath absorbs the strain between the breaks in the metal and transfers the stress back to the metal core. This response is similar to the way human tissue holds together broken bones.
Soft Robotics Perception SystemTBMG-3543211/01/2019
A perception system for soft robots was developed that is inspired by the way humans process information about their own bodies in space and in relation to other objects and people. The system includes a motion capture system, soft sensors, a neural network, and a soft robotic finger. The goal is to build a system that can predict a robot’s movements and internal state without relying on external sensors, much like humans do every day. The work has applications in human-robot interaction and wearable robotics as well as soft devices to correct disorders affecting muscles and bones.
Programmable Soft Actuators for Soft RoboticsTBMG-3534810/01/2019
Researchers have developed highly programmable actuators that, similar to the human hand, combine soft and hard materials to perform complex movements. These materials have great potential for soft robots that can safely and effectively interact with humans and other delicate objects.
Miniature Stretchable PumpTBMG-3529610/01/2019
Soft robots have a distinct advantage over rigid robots: they can adapt to complex environments, handle fragile objects, and interact safely with humans. Made from silicone, rubber, or other stretchable polymers, they are ideal for use in rehabilitation exoskeletons and robotic clothing. Soft bio-inspired robots could one day be deployed to explore remote or dangerous environments.
3D-Printed Soft Mesh RobotsTBMG-3515509/01/2019
Researchers have created 3D-printed flexible mesh structures that can be controlled with applied magnetic fields while floating on water. The structures can grab small objects and carry water droplets, giving them the potential to be useful as soft robots that mimic creatures living on water surfaces or that can serve as tissue scaffolds for cell cultures.
Soft, Multi-Functional RobotsTBMG-3513809/01/2019
In the future, soft, animal-inspired robots may be safely deployed in difficult-to-access environments in which rigid robots cannot currently be used such as inside the human body or in spaces that are too dangerous for humans to work. Centimeter-sized soft robots have been created, but thus far it has not been possible to fabricate multifunctional flexible robots that can move and operate at smaller size scales.
Q&A: A Circulatory System for RobotsTBMG-3514609/01/2019
Robert F. Shepherd is Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He is leading a team exploring the use of hydraulic fluids in soft robots to also serve as a source of energy.
New Piston Design Features Soft, Flexible MaterialsTBMG-3488008/01/2019
Conventional pistons are made of a rigid chamber and a piston inside that can slide along the chamber’s inner wall while at the same time maintaining a tight seal. As a result, the piston divides two spaces that are filled with two fluids and connected to two exterior fluid sources. If the fluids have different pressures, the piston will slide into the direction with the lower pressure and can, at the same time, drive the movement of a shaft or other device to do physical work. This principle has been used to design many machines including piston engines, hydraulic lifters and cranes such as those used on construction sites, and power tools.
Researchers Create Soft, Flexible Materials with Enhanced PropertiesTBMG-3480707/01/2019
A team of polymer chemists and engineers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new methodology that can be used to create a class of stretchable polymer composites with enhanced electrical and thermal properties. These materials are promising candidates for use in soft robotics, self-healing electronics and medical devices. The results are published in a recent issue of Nature Nanotechnology.
Snake-Inspired RobotTBMG-3457206/01/2019
Researchers have developed a new and improved snake-inspired soft robot that is faster and more precise than its predecessor.
Q&A: 3D-Printed Hydrogel Blocks Can Aid Robotics and DiagnosticsTBMG-3463106/01/2019
Ian Y. Wong, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Engineering, Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology at Brown University in Providence, RI. He and colleagues have developed a new type of hydrogel blocks that can be assembled like LEGO®s.
Transparent, Self-Healing Electronic SkinTBMG-3441105/01/2019
Scientists have taken inspiration from underwater invertebrates like jellyfish to create an electronic skin with similar functionality. Like a jellyfish, the electronic skin is transparent, stretchable, touch-sensitive, and self-healing in aquatic environments.
Investigating Collaborative Robot Gripper Configurations for Simple Fabric Pick and Place Tasks2019-01-069904/02/2019
Fiber composite materials are widely used in many industrial applications - specially in automotive, aviation and consumer goods. Introducing light-weighting material solutions to reduce vehicle mass is driving innovative materials research activities as polymer composites offer high specific stiffness and strength compared to contemporary engineering materials. However, there are issues related to high production volume, automation strategies and handling methods. The state of the art for the production of these light-weight flexible textile or composite fiber products is setting up multi-stage manual operations for hand layups. Material handling of flexible textile/fiber components is a process bottleneck. Consequently, the long term research goal is to develop semi-automated pick and place processes for flexible materials utilizing collaborative robots within the process. Collaborative robots allow for interactive human-machine tasks to be conducted. The immediate research is to
Alebooyeh, Morteza, Wang, Bowen, Urbanic, Ruth Jill, Djuric, Ana, Kalami, Hamed
Designing Self-Propelled, Chemically Active SheetsTBMG-3370902/01/2019
Researchers have created a two-dimensional, shape-changing sheet that moves autonomously in a reactant-filled fluid. The integrated system utilizes a chemical reaction to activate the fluid motion that simultaneously transports a flexible object and “sculpts” its shape, all occurring autonomously.
Soft Robotic “Sleeve” Fits Around the Heart to Help it BeatTBMG-3361601/01/2019
Researchers have developed a customizable soft robot that fits around a heart and helps it beat, potentially opening new treatment options for people suffering from heart failure.
Flexible Microrobots for Medical TasksTBMG-3307410/01/2018
A team of researchers has developed an integrated fabrication process that enables the design of soft robots on the millimeter scale with micrometer-scale features. To demonstrate the capabilities of their new technology, they created a robotic soft spider — inspired by the millimeter-sized colorful Australian peacock spider — from a single elastic material with body-shaping, motion, and color features.
Popcorn-Driven Robotic ActuatorsTBMG-3307910/01/2018
When heated, popcorn can expand more than 10 times in size, change its viscosity by a factor of 10, and transition from regular to highly irregular granules with surprising force. These unique qualities can power inexpensive robotic devices that grip, expand, or change rigidity.
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