A Hybrid Combining Hard and Soft Robots

Abstract

This manuscript describes a hybrid robotic system combining hard and soft sub-systems. This hybrid comprises a wheeled robot (an iRobot Create©; hard) and a four-legged quadruped (soft).It is capable (using a simple, wireless control system) of rapid locomotion over flat terrain (using the wheeled hard robot), and of gripping and retrieval of an object (using the soft robot). The utility of this system is demonstrated by performing a mission requiring the capabilities of both components: retrieving an object (iPod Nano®) from the center of a room. This class of robothybrids comprising hard and soft systems functioning synergistically-is capable of performing tasks that neither can do alone. In contrast to specialised hard robotic arms with grippers (capable of performing some of the functions we describe here), which are complex, relatively expensive, and require sophisticated controls, this hybrid system is easy to construct, simple to control, and low in cost. The soft robotic system in the hybrid is lightweight, disposable if contaminated or damaged, and capable of multiple functions.

Design, fabrication and control of soft robots

“…1.2 kg 10 ), tethers greatly simplify system design by significantly reducing the required carrying capacity. One approach to achieving mobile systems is to tether a soft robot to a mobile rigid robot with a greater carrying capacity 89 . Untethered mobile systems have circumvented the challenge of carrying heavy power sources by operating underwater 11, 31 or rolling on a surface 28,8 such that actuation system masses do not have to be lifted against gravity.…”

“…10 , e) worm-inspired locomotion 88 , f) particle jamming-based actuation 42 , g) rolling powered by a pneumatic battery 28, h) a hybrid hard/soft robot 89 , i) snakeinspired locomotion 8 , j) jumping powered by internal combustion 58 , k) manta-ray inspired locomotion 100 , and l) an autonomous fish 11 . Grasping and manipulation, canonical challenges in robotics, can be greatly simplified with soft robotics.…”

Integrating Soft Robotics with the Robot Operating System: A Hybrid Pick and Place Arm

“…This idea was demonstrated in our previous work, Stokes et al (2014), where we showed that the advantages of speed and accuracy offered by hard robotics could be combined with the versatility of soft robotics. We use a similar design strategy here, for a pick and place task.…”

“…The advantages of integrating soft robotic components with other types of robotic systems is demonstrated by their use in haptic classification (used in combination with a Baxter robot) (Homberg et al, 2015) and in object retrieval (used in combination with a Roomba wheeled-hard robot) (Stokes et al, 2014). These two examples are hybrids and share many common system components, but the system designers used their own bespoke control systems.…”

Magnetic Assembly of Soft Robots with Hard Components

“…This paper describes the modular assembly of hybrid [29] reconfigurable robots/machines using magnets. Although non-magnetic, modular assembly of soft robotic snakes has been explored by Onal et al, the reconfigurability of the reported robots has not been demonstrated.…”