Automatic Design of Soft Dielectric Elastomer Actuators With Optimal Spatial Electric Fields

Chen, Feifei; Liu, Kun; Wang, Yiqiang; Zou, Jiang; Zhu, Xiangyang

doi:10.1109/tro.2019.2920108

Cited by 63 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…However, because a linear elastic behavior is often assumed, it is, in its simplest form, not an ideal tool for soft robotics applications. To formulate shape optimizations, combinations of eXtended Finite Elements (XFE), level-set approaches that enable the continuous movement of material-material or material-void boundaries through elements, and analytical sensitivity analysis has seen use [15,20,37,38]. This is again a variant of differentiable simulation that enables the optimization of soft robots consisting of composite materials [39].…”

Section: Alternative Optimization Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One example of such a problem that has been addressed is ferromagnetic actuation, where the magnetization profile of a robot can be optimized such that it deforms in a specified way when a magnetic field is applied [56,57]. Another example is the design of electrode patterns for Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEA), which are a class of entirely soft electroactive polymer actuators, in order to achieve a desired deformation behavior [31,37].…”

Section: Actuation and Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

2021

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Purpose of Review We discuss the use of differentiable simulation for computational problems in soft robotics. This includes characterizing the mechanical behavior of soft robots, optimally controlling embedded soft actuators or active materials, and estimating the robot's state from readings of embedded sensors. Moreover, we discuss how design optimization can help to optimally place soft actuators and sensors. Recent Findings We expatiate on the adoption of simulation and optimization tools in the process of designing and controlling soft robots. We include a discussion of rigid-flexible systems and the use of differentiable simulation in combination with machine learning. Summary We review the state of the art in the computational modeling of soft robots and provide a summary of the required mathematical tools. We also review several open questions where computation could help to move the field forward, and discuss the role of differentiable simulation in managing the ever-growing design complexity of next-generation soft robots. Keywords Differentiable simulation • Computational design and control • State estimation • Sensor and actuator design This article is part of the Topical Collection on Soft Robotics

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Section: Alternative Optimization Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Actuation and Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

2021

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“…To resolve the above issues, an increasing number of researchers have turned their attention to soft grippers, which have promising advantages with excellent flexibility [ 8 ], high environmental adaptability [ 9 ], man–machine safety [ 10 ], and low manufacturing cost as well as easy manipulation [ 11 , 12 ]. Compared to the soft actuators, such as those that are tendon driven using cables or shape memory alloy [ 13 , 14 ], electrically driven using electroactive polymers [ 15 , 16 ], or thermally driven using hydrogels [ 17 , 18 ], soft pneumatic actuators are widely used. These soft pneumatic actuators can achieve high bearing capacity and fast responses, such as a fiber-reinforced soft actuator [ 19 , 20 , 21 ] and a bellows-type soft actuator [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling of a Soft-Rigid Gripper Actuated by a Linear-Extension Soft Pneumatic Actuator

Cheng

Jia

et al. 2021

Sensors

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Soft robot has been one significant study in recent decades and soft gripper is one of the popular research directions of soft robot. In a static gripping system, excessive gripping force and large deformation are the main reasons for damage of the object during the gripping process. For achieving low-damage gripping to the object in static gripping system, we proposed a soft-rigid gripper actuated by a linear-extension soft pneumatic actuator in this study. The characteristic of the gripper under a no loading state was measured. When the pressure was >70 kPa, there was an approximately linear relation between the pressure and extension length of the soft actuator. To achieve gripping force and fingertip displacement control of the gripper without sensors integrated on the finger, we presented a non-contact sensing method for gripping state estimation. To analyze the gripping force and fingertip displacement, the relationship between the pressure and extension length of the soft actuator in loading state was compared with the relationship under a no-loading state. The experimental results showed that the relative error between the analytical gripping force and the measured gripping force of the gripper was ≤2.1%. The relative error between analytical fingertip displacement and theoretical fingertip displacement of the gripper was ≤7.4%. Furthermore, the low damage gripping to fragile and soft objects in static and dynamic gripping tests showed good performance of the gripper. Overall, the results indicated the potential application of the gripper in pick-and-place operations.

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“…In view of the mechanical performances, DE has been applied to novel soft actuators and structures by various researchers (Pei et al, 2004;Loverich et al, 2006;Bauer, 2013;Chen et al, 2019). Although DE has good application potential in soft structures, mature soft actuator products based on DE are rarely seen, and most of them are still in the experimental stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the Dynamic Breakdown of a Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Under Cyclic Voltage Excitation

Liu

Sun

et al. 2021

Front. Robot. AI

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The dielectric elastomer (DE) is a new kind of functional polymer that can be used as a smart actuator due to the large deformation induced by voltage excitation. Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are usually excited by dynamic voltages to generate alternating motions. DEAs are prone to premature breakdown failure during the dynamic excitation, while the research on the breakdown of DEAs under cyclic voltage excitation is still not fully revealed. In this paper, the dynamic breakdown behaviors of DEAs made from VHB4910 film were experimentally investigated. The factors affecting the breakdown behavior of DEAs under dynamic voltages were determined, and the relevant changing laws were summarized accordingly. The experimental results show that under dynamic voltage excitation, the critical breakdown voltage of DEAs were augmented slowly with voltage frequency and showed a substantial dispersion. In addition, the maximum cycle numbers before breakdown were significantly affected by voltage parameters (such as frequency, amplitude, waveform). Finally, the underlying mechanisms of breakdown under cyclic voltages were discussed qualitatively, a power-law equation was proposed to characterize the maximum cycle number for the dynamic breakdown of DEAs, and related parameters were fitted. This study provides a new path to predict the service life of DEAs under dynamic voltage.

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Automatic Design of Soft Dielectric Elastomer Actuators With Optimal Spatial Electric Fields

Cited by 63 publications

References 60 publications

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

Modeling of a Soft-Rigid Gripper Actuated by a Linear-Extension Soft Pneumatic Actuator

Investigation of the Dynamic Breakdown of a Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Under Cyclic Voltage Excitation

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