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Conventional soft robots are designed with constant, passive stiffness properties, based on desired motion capabilities. The ability to encode two fundamentally different stiffness characteristics promises to enable a single robot to be optimized for multiple divergent tasks simultaneously and this has been previously proposed with a variety of approaches including jamming-based designs. In this paper, we propose phase-changing metallic spines of various geometries to independently control specific directional stiffness parameters of soft robots, changing how they respond to their actuation inputs and external loads. We fabricate spine-like structures using a low melting point alloy (LMPA), enabling us to switch on and off the effects of the stiff metal structure of the overall robot's stiffness during use. Changing soft robot morphology in this manner will enable these robots to adapt to environments and tasks that require divergent motion and force/moment application capabilities.
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Reconfigurable modular soft robots with modulating stiffness and versatile task capabilities
Abstract Soft robots have revolutionized machine interactions with humans and the environment to enable safe operations. The fixed morphology of these soft robots dictates their mechanical performance, including strength and stiffness, which limits their task range and applications. Proposed here are modular, reconfigurable soft robots with the capabilities of changing their morphology and adjusting their stiffness to perform versatile object handling and planar or spatial operational tasks. The reconfiguration and tunable interconnectivity between the elemental soft, pneumatically driven actuation units is made possible through integrated permanent magnets with coils. The proposed concept of attaching/detaching actuators enables these robots to be easily rearranged in various configurations to change the morphology of the system. While the potential for these actuators allows for arbitrary reconfiguration through parallel or serial connection on their four sides, we demonstrate here a configuration called ManusBot. ManusBot is a hand-like structure with digits and palm capable of individual actuation. The capabilities of this system are demonstrated through specific examples of stiffness modulation, variable payload capacity, and structure forming for enhanced and versatile object manipulation and operations. The proposed modular, soft robotic system with interconnecting capabilities significantly expands the versatility of operational tasks as well as the adaptability of handling objects of various shapes, sizes, and weights using a single system.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2235647
- PAR ID:
- 10510903
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Smart Materials and Structures
- Volume:
- 33
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0964-1726
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: Article No. 065040
- Size(s):
- Article No. 065040
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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