Hydraulic Autonomous Soft Robotic Fish for 3D Swimming

Katzschmann, Robert K.; Marchese, Andrew D.; Rus, Daniela

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-23778-7_27

Cited by 202 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Pneumatic actuation [20][21][22][29][30][31], hydraulic actuation [23,27,33], electric motor driven tendon cable actuation [10], combustion based actuation [24] belong to the extrinsic group. The actuation concepts based on electroactive polymers [25], dielectric elastomers [26], hydrogels [27,32], shape memory alloys [28], magnetorheological fluids and elastomers [48,49] and similar belong to the intrinsic group.…”

Section: It Is All About Actuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?

Alici

2018

MRS Advances

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This paper reports on what differentiates the field of soft (i.e. soft-bodied) robotics from the conventional hard (i.e. rigid-bodied) robotics. The main difference centres on seamlessly combining the actuation, sensing, motion transmission and conversion mechanism elements, electronics and power source into a continuum body that ideally holds the properties of morphological computation and programmable compliance (i.e. softness). Another difference is about the materials they are made of. While the hard robots are made of rigid materials such as metals and hard plastics with a bulk elastic modulus of as low as 1 GPa, the monolithic soft robots should be fabricated from soft and hard materials or from a strategic combination of them with a maximum elasticity modulus of 1 GPa. Soft smart materials with programmable mechanical, electrical and rheological properties, and conformable to additive manufacturing based on 3D printing are essential to realise soft robots. Selecting the actuation concept and its power source, which is the first and most important step in establishing a robot, determines the size, weight, performance of the soft robot, the type of sensors and their location, control algorithm, power requirement and its associated flexible and stretchable electronics. This paper outlines how crucial the soft materials are in realising the actuation concept, which can be inspired from animal and plant movements. Disciplines Engineering | Science and Technology Studies ABSTRACTThis paper reports on what differentiates the field of soft (i.e. soft-bodied) robotics from the conventional hard (i.e. rigid-bodied) robotics. The main difference centres on seamlessly combining the actuation, sensing, motion transmission and conversion mechanism elements, electronics and power source into a continuum body that ideally holds the properties of morphological computation and programmable compliance (i.e. softness). Another difference is about the materials they are made of. While the hard robots are made of rigid materials such as metals and hard plastics with a bulk elastic modulus of as low as 1 GPa, the monolithic soft robots should be fabricated from soft and hard materials or from a strategic combination of them with a maximum elasticity modulus of 1 GPa. Soft smart materials with programmable mechanical, electrical and rheological properties, and conformable to additive manufacturing based on 3D printing are essential to realise soft robots. Selecting the actuation concept and its power source, which is the first and most important step in establishing a robot, determines the size, weight, performance of the soft robot, the type of sensors and their location, control algorithm, power requirement and its associated flexible and stretchable electronics. This paper outlines how crucial the soft materials are in realising the actuation concept, which can be inspired from animal and plant movements.

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Section: It Is All About Actuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?

Alici

2018

MRS Advances

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“…21 This robot uses a closed-circuit hydraulic system to control a differential soft actuator tail to allow for sustained swimming in 3D space. This work is a continuation of a previous pneumatically controlled soft fish 22 that was updated with hydraulics due to limitations of compressed air and problems with buoyancy control.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All examples of soft hydraulic robots described either needed rigid components to function autonomously 6,7,22 or were limited to clock-like actuation in their control. 20 Most robots were also controlled with either traditional valves, such as solenoid valves, or rigid ER fluid valves, using copper as electrodes.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fully Soft 3D-Printed Electroactive Fluidic Valve for Soft Hydraulic Robots

2018

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Soft robots are designed to utilize their compliance and contortionistic abilities to both interact safely with their environment and move through it in ways a rigid robot cannot. To more completely achieve this, the robot should be made of as many soft components as possible. Here we present a completely soft hydraulic control valve consisting of a 3D-printed photopolymer body with electrorheological (ER) fluid as a working fluid and gallium-indium-tin liquid metal alloy as electrodes. This soft 3D-printed ER valve weighs less than 10 g and allows for onboard actuation control, furthering the goal of an entirely soft controllable robot. The soft ER valve pressure-holding capabilities were tested under unstrained conditions, cyclic valve activation, and the strained conditions of bending, twisting, stretching, and indentation. It was found that the max holding pressure of the valve when 5 kV was applied across the electrodes was 264 kPa, and that the holding pressure deviated less than 15% from the unstrained max holding pressure under all strain conditions except for indentation, which had a 60% max pressure increase. In addition, a soft octopus-like robot was designed, 3D printed, and assembled, and a soft ER valve was used to stop the fluid flow, build pressure in the robot, and actuate six tentacle-like soft bending actuators.

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“…Researchers have already produced a wide variety of such machines, including crawling robotic caterpillars 2 , swimming fish-bots 3 and undulating artificial jellyfish 4 . On 29-30 April, ten teams will compete in Livorno in an international soft-robotics challenge -the first of its kind.…”

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confidence: 99%

Meet the soft, cuddly robots of the future

Shen¹

2016

Nature

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Hydraulic Autonomous Soft Robotic Fish for 3D Swimming

Cited by 202 publications

References 24 publications

Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?

Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?

Fully Soft 3D-Printed Electroactive Fluidic Valve for Soft Hydraulic Robots

Meet the soft, cuddly robots of the future

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