Increasing the Payload and Terrain Adaptivity of an Untethered Crawling Robot Via Soft-Rigid Coupled Linear Actuators

Dong, Xuguang; Tang, Chao; Jiang, Songwen; Shao, Qi; Zhao, Huichan

doi:10.1109/lra.2021.3061342

Cited by 22 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Compared with mollusks, mammals have evolved bone structure for rigid support, muscles for soft actuation, and ligaments as a structural form of flexible transmission, which greatly improve their athletic capacity. In soft robot design, the introduction of rigid components can also substantially improve its motion performance like force/motion transmission and load bearing (24). Smart composite microstructure (SCM) technology has been widely used in the structural design of microrobots (25)(26)(27), overcoming the limitations of micromechanical machining techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pipeline inspection robot for navigating tubular environments in the sub-centimeter scale

et al. 2022

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In complex systems like aircraft engines and oil refinery machines, pipeline inspection is an essential task for ensuring safety. Here, we proposed a type of smart material–driven pipeline inspection robot (weight, 2.2 grams; length, 47 millimeters; diameter, <10 millimeters) that could fit into pipes with sub-centimeter diameters and different curvatures. We adopted high–power density, long-life dielectric elastomer actuators as artificial muscles and smart composite microstructure–based, high-efficiency anchoring units as transmissions. Fast assembling of components using magnets with an adjustable number of units was used to fit varying pipeline geometries. We analyzed the dynamic characteristics of the robots by considering soft material’s unique properties like viscoelasticity and dynamic vibrations and tuned the activation voltage’s frequency and phase accordingly. Powered by tethered cables from outside the pipe, our peristaltic pipeline robot achieved rapid motions horizontally and vertically (horizontal: 1.19 body lengths per second, vertical: 1.08 body lengths per second) in a subcentimeter-sized pipe (diameter, 9.8 millimeters). Besides, it was capable of moving in pipes with varying geometries (diameter-changing pipe, L-shaped pipe, S-shaped pipe, or spiral-shaped pipe), filled media (air or oil), and materials (glass, metal, or carbon fiber). To demonstrate its capability for pipeline inspection, we installed a miniature camera on its front and controlled the robot manually from outside. The robot successfully finished an inspection task at different speeds.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pipeline inspection robot for navigating tubular environments in the sub-centimeter scale

et al. 2022

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“…While moving, it carried a 3.4 kg payload, 117 times its weight (Figure 4C and Movie S1, Supporting Information), and almost 18 times the maximum payload for some existing robots (Refs. [13,22,61,64–70]; Figure 4E). With more OASS module tubes (6 × 8 OASS actuator; Figure 4B), the robot was capable of carrying a lady volunteer (≈46 kg; Figure 4D and Movie S2, Supporting Information) and moved forward on the ground.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although it is a smart method to unload cargo from the main body back and drag the load, it has great limitations for movement on complex terrains. [13,65] We created two OASS-based crawling robots that were soft in the horizontal direction but stiff in the vertical direction to protect the air path from a heavy payload (Figure 4A,B). When the vacuum is turned on and off, the robot shrinks and expands horizontally.…”

Section: Crawling Robot Capable Of Carrying An Ultraheavy Payloadmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[10,11] Moreover, if a robot approaches a rugged surface with a heavy payload, it should be sufficiently compliant to move on the surface and rigid to support the payload. [12,13] To circumvent this problem, researchers attempted to integrate rigid and soft robots. One approach is to convert a robot from a rigid to a soft state and vice versa, which requires a variable-stiffness mechanism.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Soft Robots for Cluttered Environments Based on Origami Anisotropic Stiffness Structure (OASS) Inspired by Desert Iguana

Zhu

Fan

et al. 2023

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Compared to many rigid robots, emerging soft robots possess higher adaptability and safety owing to their compliance, [1,2] making them a promising solution for human-robot interaction, [3,4] manipulation, [5,6] and search and rescue. [7] Instead of only having one state (soft or rigid) in a robot, many scenarios necessitate both soft and rigid properties. For example, when picking an item of varying softness, shape, and weight using various motions, such as grasping and fiddling, a packaging robot should be rigid enough to grasp heavy items but soft enough to grasp fragile or irregular items while also being capable of quickly switching between these two states. [2,8,9] While exploring dangerous and confined environments (e.g., post-earthquake rescue and industrial pipeline inspection), the robot should be sufficiently compliant to adapt to the cluttered environment and rigid to transport a large gap. [10,11] Moreover, if a robot approaches a rugged surface with a heavy payload, it should be sufficiently compliant to move on the surface and rigid to support the payload. [12,13] To circumvent this problem, researchers attempted to integrate rigid and soft robots. One approach is to convert a robot from a rigid to a soft state and vice versa, which requires a variable-stiffness mechanism. This mechanism has been widely used in wearable robots, [14] manipulators, [7,15] and continuum

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“…%1731 g [197] Detection Payload mass Passive deformability 75 kg [198] No 6 kg [199] on the ground Yes Soft crawling robot Tip-growing soft robot…”

Section: Sampling Mass B )mentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress, Challenges, and Prospects of Soft Robotics for Space Applications

Zhang

Quan

et al. 2022

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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The development of space robots is vital to broadening human cognitive boundaries. Space robots have been deployed in space science experiments, extravehicular operations, and deep space exploration. The application of space robots undoubtedly reduces the risk and cost of space activities. Traditional space robots primarily utilize rigid structures, resulting in limited degrees of freedom, which restricts their operational capabilities. In contrast, soft robots with greater flexibility and robustness may be used for future space exploration. Soft robots applied in space environments must overcome significant challenges associated with ultrahigh vacuum, microgravity, extreme temperatures, and high‐energy radiation. Herein, a comprehensive analysis of the key advantages of soft robots is presented based on the special requirements of the space environments for soft robots. Furthermore, brief insights into how soft robots must be changed in terms of their design, modeling, fabrication, sensing, and control to adapt to space environments are discussed. Specifically, soft robot scenarios with potential space application value are introduced. Finally, opinions regarding the potential directions of soft space robots are provided.

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Increasing the Payload and Terrain Adaptivity of an Untethered Crawling Robot Via Soft-Rigid Coupled Linear Actuators

Cited by 22 publications

References 29 publications

A pipeline inspection robot for navigating tubular environments in the sub-centimeter scale

A pipeline inspection robot for navigating tubular environments in the sub-centimeter scale

Soft Robots for Cluttered Environments Based on Origami Anisotropic Stiffness Structure (OASS) Inspired by Desert Iguana

Progress, Challenges, and Prospects of Soft Robotics for Space Applications

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