Shaping the future of robotics through materials innovation

Rothemund, Philipp; Kim, Yoon-Ho; Heisser, Ronald H.; Zhao, Xuanhe; Shepherd, Robert F.; Keplinger, Christoph

doi:10.1038/s41563-021-01158-1

Cited by 84 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The most widely reported wireless-powering approach is the use of an electromagnetic field, whose magnitude and direction can be readily programmed for actuator operation [ 179 , 180 , 181 ]. Wireless electrical power, which is particularly promising for battery-free implantables, can be achieved through an implanted energy harvester that converts RF energy collected to mW-level DC output [ 182 , 183 , 184 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actuators for Implantable Devices: A Broad View

Yan

2022

Micromachines

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The choice of actuators dictates how an implantable biomedical device moves. Specifically, the concept of implantable robots consists of the three pillars: actuators, sensors, and powering. Robotic devices that require active motion are driven by a biocompatible actuator. Depending on the actuating mechanism, different types of actuators vary remarkably in strain/stress output, frequency, power consumption, and durability. Most reviews to date focus on specific type of actuating mechanism (electric, photonic, electrothermal, etc.) for biomedical applications. With a rapidly expanding library of novel actuators, however, the granular boundaries between subcategories turns the selection of actuators a laborious task, which can be particularly time-consuming to those unfamiliar with actuation. To offer a broad view, this study (1) showcases the recent advances in various types of actuating technologies that can be potentially implemented in vivo, (2) outlines technical advantages and the limitations of each type, and (3) provides use-specific suggestions on actuator choice for applications such as drug delivery, cardiovascular, and endoscopy implants.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actuators for Implantable Devices: A Broad View

Yan

2022

Micromachines

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“…Previously, Cianchetti et al (2018) asserted that the field of soft robotics is appropriate for the design of biomedical devices, and Rose and O’Malley explored a soft device which promotes functional dexterity ( Rose and O’Malley, 2019 ). As the field of soft robotics continues to grow within academic research ( Jumet et al, 2022a ), it is important that the applications of the field grow in industry and commercialization as well; this work represents a proof of concept of a soft robotic device which can be effectively applied outside of benchtop testing and exhibits performance comparable to conventional commercial devices ( Gu et al, 2021 ; Rothemund et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, the simplicity of our approach, in part due to its reliance on soft robotic concepts, enables it to be assembled as an open-source device that is highly accessible, adding another example of open-source robotics—similar to prior work that developed an exoskeleton test bed ( Baskaran et al, 2021 )—to the literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A low-cost wearable device for portable sequential compression therapy

et al. 2022

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In 2020, cardiovascular diseases resulted in 25% of unnatural deaths in the United States. Treatment with long-term administration of medication can adversely affect other organs, and surgeries such as coronary artery grafts are risky. Meanwhile, sequential compression therapy (SCT) offers a low-risk alternative, but is currently expensive and unwieldy, and often requires the patient to be immobilized during administration. Here, we present a low-cost wearable device to administer SCT, constructed using a stacked lamination fabrication approach. Expanding on concepts from the field of soft robotics, textile sheets are thermally bonded to form pneumatic actuators, which are controlled by an inconspicuous and tetherless electronic onboard supply of pressurized air. Our open-source, low-profile, and lightweight (140 g) device costs $62, less than one-third the cost the least expensive alternative and one-half the weight of lightest alternative approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), presenting the opportunity to more effectively provide SCT to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. Furthermore, our textile-stacking method, inspired by conventional fabrication methods from the apparel industry, along with the lightweight fabrics used, allows the device to be worn more comfortably than other SCT devices. By reducing physical and financial encumbrances, the device presented in this work may better enable patients to treat cardiovascular diseases and aid in recovery from cardiac surgeries.

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“…These existing robots lack the ability to close the loop between sensing, signal processing, and actuation ( 32 ). In this respect, simultaneous integration of programmable structural changes and various functional modules remains a key scientific challenge in the development of magnetically responsive material systems that exhibit robot intelligence ( 24 , 33 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untethered small-scale magnetic soft robot with programmable magnetization and integrated multifunctional modules

et al. 2022

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Intelligent magnetic soft robots capable of programmable structural changes and multifunctionality modalities depend on material architectures and methods for controlling magnetization profiles. While some efforts have been made, there are still key challenges in achieving programmable magnetization profile and creating heterogeneous architectures. Here, we directly embed programmed magnetization patterns (magnetization modules) into the adhesive sticker layers to construct soft robots with programmable magnetization profiles and geometries and then integrate spatially distributed functional modules. Functional modules including temperature and ultraviolet light sensing particles, pH sensing sheets, oil sensing foams, positioning electronic component, circuit foils, and therapy patch films are integrated into soft robots. These test beds are used to explore multimodal robot locomotion and various applications related to environmental sensing and detection, circuit repairing, and gastric ulcer coating, respectively. This proposed approach to engineering modular soft material systems has the potential to expand the functionality, versatility, and adaptability of soft robots.

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Shaping the future of robotics through materials innovation

Cited by 84 publications

References 39 publications

Actuators for Implantable Devices: A Broad View

Actuators for Implantable Devices: A Broad View

A low-cost wearable device for portable sequential compression therapy

Untethered small-scale magnetic soft robot with programmable magnetization and integrated multifunctional modules

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