Soft Robotics Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Improvements in soft robotics, materials, and flexible gripper technology made it possible for the soft grippers to advance rapidly. A brief analysis of soft robotic grippers featuring various material collections, physical rules, and... more

Improvements in soft robotics, materials, and flexible gripper technology made it possible for the soft grippers to advance rapidly. A brief analysis of soft robotic grippers featuring various material collections, physical rules, and system architectures is provided here. Soft gripping is divided into three technologies, enabling gripping with: a) actuation, b) material used, and c) Use of 3D printing in fabricating grippers. An informative analysis is provided of every form. Similar to stiff grippers, flexible and elastic end-effectors may also grab or control a broader variety of objects. The inherent versatility of the materials is increasingly being used to study advanced materials and soft structures, particularly silicone elastomers, shape-memory materials, active polymers, and gels, in the development of compact, simple, and more versatile grippers. For future work, enhanced structures, techniques, and senses play a prominent part.

The paper presented here approaches to solve the complexity of an anthropomorphic robotic hand. Robotics is now the most advancing field and there has always been an intention of mimicking human-like actuation and behavior. An... more

The paper presented here approaches to solve the complexity of an anthropomorphic robotic hand. Robotics is now the most advancing field and there has always been an intention of mimicking human-like actuation and behavior. An anthropomorphic hand is one of the approaches to imitate human-like operations. In this paper, the idea of developing an anthropomorphic hand with 15 degrees of freedom and 5 actuators has been elaborated as well as the mechanical design, control system, composition, and peculiarities of the robotic hand have been discussed. The hand has an anthropomorphic appearance and also can perform human-like functionalities, for example, gripping and hand gestures representation. The results reveal that the hand is designed as one part and does not need any kind of assembly and it exhibits an excellent weight lifting capacity, since it is made of flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material, and its elasticity also ensures that the hand is safe for interacting with humans as well. This hand may be used in a humanoid robot as well as a prosthetic hand. The limited number of actuators makes the control simpler and the hand lighter.

The paper presented here approaches to solve the complexity of an anthropomorphic robotic hand. Robotics is now the most advancing field and there has always been an intention of mimicking human-like actuation and behavior. An... more

The paper presented here approaches to solve the complexity of an anthropomorphic robotic hand. Robotics is now the most advancing field and there has always been an intention of mimicking human-like actuation and behavior. An anthropomorphic hand is one of the approaches to imitate human-like operations. In this paper, the idea of developing an anthropomorphic hand with 15 degrees of freedom and 5 actuators has been elaborated as well as the mechanical design, control system, composition, and peculiarities of the robotic hand have been discussed. The hand has an anthropomorphic appearance and also can perform human-like functionalities, for example, gripping and hand gestures representation. The results reveal that the hand is designed as one part and does not need any kind of assembly and it exhibits an excellent weight lifting capacity, since it is made of flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material, and its elasticity also ensures that the hand is safe for interacting wit...

The goal of this project was to improve UAV efficiency through use of biomimetic design. This was achieved through the application of a hydraulically actuated soft robotic fin. Drawing inspiration from the manta ray, a custom actuator was... more

The goal of this project was to improve UAV efficiency through use of biomimetic design. This was achieved through the application of a hydraulically actuated soft robotic fin. Drawing inspiration from the manta ray, a custom actuator was developed to achieve a feasible, lifelike locomotion method. The actuator was incorporated into a prototype robot to assess the performance and ease of integration.

This paper presents the design of a single module composing a modular soft variable stiffness manipulator for minimal access surgery. The module exploits flexible fluidic actuation for obtaining multi directional bending and elongation... more

This paper presents the design of a single module composing a modular soft variable stiffness manipulator for minimal access surgery. The module exploits flexible fluidic actuation for obtaining multi directional bending and elongation capabilities. A novel flexible crimped braided sheath is introduced in order to increase the performances of the flexible actuator. Granular jamming based stiffening mechanism is used to tune the stiffness of the module. The fabrication of the module is described and the performances in terms of bending, elongation and stiffening are reported. Keywords— Surgical manipulator; soft manipulator; variable stiffness; minimally invasive surgery; flexible fluidic actuator; granular jamming; crimped braided structure

A soft-bodied robot made of smart soft composite with inchworm-inspired locomotion capable of both two-way linear and turning movement has been proposed, developed, and tested. The robot was divided into three functional parts based on... more

A soft-bodied robot made of smart soft composite with inchworm-inspired locomotion capable of both two-way linear and turning movement has been proposed, developed, and tested. The robot was divided into three functional parts based on the different functions of the inchworm: the body, the back foot, and the front foot. Shape memory alloy wires were embedded longitudinally in a soft polymer to imitate the longitudinal muscle fibers that control the abdominal contractions of the inchworm during locomotion. Each foot of the robot has three segments with different friction coefficients to implement the anchor and sliding movement. Then, utilizing actuation patterns between the body and feet based on the looping gait, the robot achieves a biomimetic inchworm gait. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the robot's locomotive performance for both linear locomotion and turning movement. Results show that the proposed robot's stride length was nearly one third of its body length, with a maximum linear speed of 3.6 mm s−1, a linear locomotion efficiency of 96.4%, a maximum turning capability of 4.3 degrees per stride, and a turning locomotion efficiency of 39.7%.

Designing a multi-robot system provides numerous advantages for many applications such as low cost, multi-tasking and more efficient group work. However, the rigidity of the robots used in industrial and medical applications increases the... more

Designing a multi-robot system provides numerous advantages for many applications such as low cost, multi-tasking and more efficient group work. However, the rigidity of the robots used in industrial and medical applications increases the probability of injury. Therefore, lots of research is done to increase the safety factor for robot-human interaction. As a result, either separation between the human and robot is suggested, or the force shutdown to the robot system is applied. These solutions might be useful for industrial applications, but it is not for medical applications as a direct interaction between the human and the machine is required. To overcome the rigidity problem, a soft robot arm is presented in this paper. Studying the structure and performance of a contraction pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) is illustrated, then useful strategies are used to implement a multi PMA continuum arm to increase the performance options for such types of the actuator. Moreover, twin arms ...

The terms materials that move and kinetic materials signify a group of smart materials with the ability to change shape, typically in a short time. The best-known and most widely studied group of materials that fall into this category are... more

The terms materials that move and kinetic materials signify a group of smart materials with the ability to change shape, typically in a short time. The best-known and most widely studied group of materials that fall into this category are shape memory materials, more specifically shape memory alloys. However, shape memory materials are not the only materials that can change shape or return to a specified shape. The aim of this book is to show the incredible variety of materials with the capability to change shape or to move in space as a response to an external stimulus such as heat or electricity. Furthermore, the book reviews applications and projects that are facilitated by kinetic materials in order to demonstrate possibilities, alternative materials, working approaches, and design approaches. A cornucopia of projects realized for research, art, or industrial use meticulously selected from the fields of architecture, art, design, or interdisciplinary domains show many interesting details about the successful implementation of kinetic materials and the innovative possibilities they bring along.

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and evaluation of a soft wearable robotic glove, which can be used with functional Magnetic Resonance imaging (fMRI) during the hand rehabilitation and task specific training. The soft... more

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and evaluation of a soft wearable robotic glove, which can be used with functional Magnetic Resonance imaging (fMRI) during the hand rehabilitation and task specific training. The soft wearable robotic glove, called MR-Glove, consists of two major components: a) a set of soft pneumatic actuators and b) a glove. The soft pneumatic actuators, which are made of silicone elastomers, generate bending motion and actuate finger joints upon pressurization. The device is MR-compatible as it contains no ferromagnetic materials and operates pneumatically. Our results show that the device did not cause artifacts to fMRI images during hand rehabilitation and task-specific exercises. This study demonstrated the possibility of using fMRI and MR-compatible soft wearable robotic device to study brain activities and motor performances during hand rehabilitation, and to unravel the functional effects of rehabilitation robotics on brain stimulation.

This paper presents the concept design of a modular soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery. Unlike traditional surgical manipulators based on metallic steerable needles, tendon-driven mechanisms, or articulated motorized links,... more

This paper presents the concept design of a modular soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery. Unlike traditional surgical manipulators based on metallic steerable needles, tendon-driven mechanisms, or articulated motorized links, we combine flexible fluidic actuators to obtain multidirectional bending and elongation with a variable stiffness mechanism based on granular jamming. The idea is to develop a manipulator based on a series of modules, each consisting of a silicone matrix with pneumatic chambers for 3-D motion, and one central channel for the integration of granular-jamming-based stiffening mechanism. A bellows-shaped braided structure is used to contain the lateral expansion of the flexible fluidic actuator and to increase its motion range. In this paper, the design and experimental characterization of a single module composed of such a manipulator is presented. Possible applications of the manipulator in the surgical field are discussed.

Silicon rubbers are widely used in a variety of products ranging from cooking utensils and electronics to medical devices and implants. Recently, they have sparked an interest among soft robotics researchers as they can be easily formed... more

Silicon rubbers are widely used in a variety of products ranging from cooking utensils and electronics to medical devices and implants. Recently, they have sparked an interest among soft robotics researchers as they can be easily formed into various shapes and actuated in a relatively fast and easy way. In this article, we examine the nonlinear elastic response of a silicon rubber, Ecoflex, under both compressible and incompressible constraints. An experimental test on a uniaxial tension indicates a slight compressibility, and the compressibility increases with stretching. Five different constitutive material models are considered to describe the nonlinear elastic responses of Ecoflex under both compressible and incompressible conditions. In addition, finite element (FE) analysis is presented to analyze multiaxial response of structures or devices made of Ecoflex under complex boundary conditions. This study highlights the variations in the multiaxial response of structures at large deformations from different constitutive models under different compressible and incompressible constraints. For a high precision control in soft robotics applications, there is a need to understand the multiaxial response of silicon rubbers, especially under large deformations.

Although industrial robots have a long history with rigid object manipulation, deformable object manipulation is still considered ’new’. Every object has its deformability characteristic which makes each situation unique. This paper... more

Although industrial robots have a long history with rigid object manipulation, deformable object manipulation
is still considered ’new’. Every object has its deformability characteristic which makes each situation unique. This
paper presents a novel controller that combines a joint position controller with joint velocity controller. Later, the
novel controller has been integrated with the ’MoveIt!’ library to ease the process of developing a method to find the
material characteristics of the deformable object using machine learning techniques. For this project, Franka-Emika
Panda robotic arm has been used as the manipulator. Paper briefly shows the hardware and software setups of the
system, how to write joint position and velocity controllers and finally how to combine novel controller with MoveIt!
library and benefit from its GUI and inverse kinematics solver.

In this paper, we present the design of a soft wearable exoskeleton that comprises of a glove embedded with pneumatic actuators of variable stiffness for hand assistive and rehabilitation application. The device is lightweight and easily... more

In this paper, we present the design of a soft wearable exoskeleton that comprises of a glove embedded with pneumatic actuators of variable stiffness for hand assistive and rehabilitation application. The device is lightweight and easily wearable due to the usage of soft pneumatic actuators. A key feature of the device is the variable stiffness of the actuators at different localities that not only conform to the finger profile during actuation, but also provides customizability for different hand dimensions. The actuators can achieve different bending profiles with variable stiffness implemented at different localities. Therefore, the device is able to perform different hand therapy exercises such as full fist, straight fist, hook fist and table top. The device was characterized in terms of its range of motion and maximum force output. Experiments were conducted to examine the differences between active and passive actuation. The results showed that the device could achieve hand grasping and pinching with acceptable range of motion and force.

This work presents a novel technique for direct 3D printing of soft pneumatic actuators using 3D printers based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. Existing fabrication techniques for soft pneumatic actuators with complex inner... more

This work presents a novel technique for direct 3D printing of soft pneumatic actuators using 3D printers based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. Existing fabrication techniques for soft pneumatic actuators with complex inner geometry are normally time-consuming and involve multistep processes. A low-cost open-source consumer 3D printer and a commercially available printing material were identified for printing soft pneumatic actuators with complex inner geometry and high degree of freedom. We investigated the material properties of the printing material, simulated the mechanical behavior of the printed actuators, characterized the performances of the actuators in terms of their bending capability, output forces, as well as durability, and demonstrated the potential soft robotic applications of the 3D printed actuators. Using the 3D printed actuators, we developed a soft gripper that was able to grasp and lift heavy objects with high pay–-to-weight ratio, which demonstrated that the actuators were able to apply high forces. To demonstrate the ability of the actuators to achieve complex movements, such as bidirectional bending movements, we also developed wearable hand and wrist exoskeletons that were able to assist finger flexion and wrist flexion–extension. The proposed technique is the first-in-class approach to directly 3D print airtight soft pneumatic actuators for soft robotic applications using FDM technology.

The octopus is a marine animal whose body has no rigid structures. It has eight arms composed of a peculiar muscular structure, named a muscular hydrostat. The octopus arms provide it with both locomotion and grasping capabilities, thanks... more

The octopus is a marine animal whose body has no rigid structures. It has eight arms composed of a peculiar muscular structure, named a muscular hydrostat. The octopus arms provide it with both locomotion and grasping capabilities, thanks to the fact that their stiffness can change over a wide range and can be controlled through combined contractions of the muscles. The muscular hydrostat can better be seen as a modifiable skeleton. Furthermore, the morphology the arms and the mechanical characteristics of their tissues are such that the interaction with the environment (i.e., water) is exploited to simplify control. Thanks to this effective mechanism of embodied intelligence, the octopus can control a very high number of degrees of freedom, with relatively limited computing resources. From these considerations, the octopus emerges as a good model for embodied intelligence and for soft robotics. The prototype of a robot arm has been built based on an artificial muscular hydrostat inspired to the muscular hydrostat of the Octopus vulgaris. The prototype presents the morphology of the biological model and the broad arrangement of longitudinal and transverse muscles. Actuation is obtained with cables (longitudinally) and with shape memory alloy springs (transversally). The robot arm combines contractions and it can show the basic movements of the octopus arm, like elongation, shortening and bending, in water.

Through collaborative media arts practice we explore texture morphing soft robotics as an artistic medium of expression. We present an installation, Homo Viridis, that features a soft robotic interface developed to mediate signals between... more

Through collaborative media arts practice we explore texture morphing soft robotics as an artistic medium of expression. We present an installation, Homo Viridis, that features a soft robotic interface developed to mediate signals between a vascular plant and a human body. The exposition paper discusses how Homo Viridis stages a situation of hybridity where individual, more-than-human subjectivities are mentally and physically intertwined. In conclusion, the paper reflects on how connecting organisms through soft robotic interfaces can actualize visions of a novel being - a ‘posthuman entity’. We argue that such a being might be physically composed of organic and synthetic elements that come together, but that it can also exist as a conceptual persona that may initiate discussions on what humans can become.

Despite the fact that the main advantage of robot manipulators was always meant to be their flexibility, they have not been applied widely to the assembly of industrial components in situations other than those where hard automation might... more

Despite the fact that the main advantage of robot manipulators was always meant to be their flexibility, they have not been applied widely to the assembly of industrial components in situations other than those where hard automation might be used. We identify the two main reasons for this as the 'fragility' of robot operation during tasks that involve contact, and the lack of an appropriate user interface. This thesis describes an attempt to address these problems. We survey the techniques that have been proposed to bring the performance of cur¬ rent industrial robot manipulators in line with expectations, and conclude that the main obstacle in realising a flexible assembly robot that exhibits robust and reliable behaviour is the problem of spatial uncertainty. Based on observations of the performance of position-controlled robot manipulators and what is involved during rigid-body part mating, we propose a model of assembly tasks that exploits the shape invariance of the par...

The hands and feet account for half of the complexity of the musculoskeletal system, while the skin of the hand is specialised with many important structures. Much of the subtlety of the mechanism of the hand lies in the soft tissues, and... more

This work presents a comprehensive open-source simulation and design tool for Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) using finite element method, compatible and extensible to a diverse range of soft materials and design parameters. Thorough... more

This work presents a comprehensive open-source simulation and design tool for Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) using finite element method, compatible and extensible to a diverse range of soft materials and design parameters. Thorough characterization of the hyperelastic and viscoelastic behavior is illustrated using a sample soft material (Ecoflex 00_30), and an appropriate material constitutive law. SPA performance (displacement and blocked-force) are simulated for two types of SPA and validated with experimental testing. Real-world case studies are presented in which SPA designs are iteratively optimized through simulation to meet specified performance criteria and geometric constraints.

This paper introduces a novel, bioinspired manipulator for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The manipulator is entirely composed of soft materials, and it has been designed to provide similar motion capabilities as the octopus's arm in... more

This paper introduces a novel, bioinspired manipulator for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The manipulator is entirely composed of soft materials, and it has been designed to provide similar motion capabilities as the octopus's arm in order to reach the surgical target while exploiting its whole length to actively interact with the biological structures. The manipulator is composed of two identical modules (each of them can be controlled independently) with multi-directional bending and stiffening capabilities, like an octopus arm. In the authors' previous works, the design of the single module has been addressed. Here a two-module manipulator is presented, with the final aim of demonstrating the enhanced capabilities that such a structure can have in comparison with rigid surgical tools currently employed in MIS. The performances in terms of workspace, stiffening capabilities, and generated forces are characterized through experimental tests. The combination of stiffening capabilities and manipulation tasks is also addressed to confirm the manipulator potential employment in a real surgical scenario.

Robotics has aroused huge attention since the 1950s. Irrespective of the uniqueness that industrial applications exhibit, conventional rigid robots have displayed noticeable limitations, particularly in safe cooperation as well as with... more

Robotics has aroused huge attention since the 1950s. Irrespective of the uniqueness that industrial applications exhibit, conventional rigid robots have displayed noticeable limitations, particularly in safe cooperation as well as with environmental adaption. Accordingly, scientists have shifted their focus on soft robotics to apply this type of robots more effectively in unstructured environments. For decades, they have been committed to exploring sub-fields of soft robotics (e.g., cutting-edge techniques in design and fabrication, accurate modeling, as well as advanced control algorithms). Although scientists have made many different efforts, they share the common goal of enhancing applicability. The presented paper aims to brief the progress of soft robotic research for readers interested in this field, and clarify how an appropriate control algorithm can be produced for soft robots with specific morphologies. This paper, instead of enumerating existing modeling or control methods of a certain soft robot prototype, interprets for the relationship between morphology and morphology-dependent motion strategy, attempts to delve into the common issues in a particular class of soft robots, and elucidates a generic solution to enhance their performance.

Within the philosophy of biology, recently promising steps have been made towards a biologically grounded concept of agency. Agency is described as bio-agency: the intrinsically normative adaptive behaviour of human and non-human... more

Within the philosophy of biology, recently promising steps have been made towards a biologically grounded concept of agency. Agency is described as bio-agency: the intrinsically normative adaptive behaviour of human and non-human organisms, arising from their biological autonomy.
My paper assesses the bio-agency approach by examining criticism recently directed by its proponents against the project of embodied robotics. Defenders of the bio-agency approach have claimed that embodied robots do not, and for fundamental reasons cannot, qualify as artificial agents because they do not fully realise biological autonomy. More particularly, it has been claimed that they fail to be agents because agency essentially requires metabolism.
I shall argue that this criticism, while being valuable in bringing to the fore important differences between bio-agents and existing embodied robots, nevertheless is too strong. It relies on inferences from agency-as-we-know-it to agency-as-it-could-be which are justified neither empirically nor conceptually.

Recent advances in the design and implementation of wearable resistive, capacitive, and optical strain sensors are summarized herein. Wearable and stretchable strain sensors have received extensive research interest due to their... more

Recent advances in the design and implementation of wearable resistive, capacitive, and optical strain sensors are summarized herein. Wearable and stretchable strain sensors have received extensive research interest due to their applications in personalized healthcare, human motion detection, human–machine interfaces, soft robotics, and beyond. The disconnection of overlapped nanomaterials, reversible opening/closing of microcracks in sensing films, and alteration of the tunneling resistance have been successfully adopted to develop high‐performance resistive‐type sensors. On the other hand, the sensing behavior of capacitive‐type and optical strain sensors is largely governed by their geometrical changes under stretching/releasing cycles. The sensor design parameters, including stretchability, sensitivity, linearity, hysteresis, and dynamic durability, are comprehensively discussed. Finally, the promising applications of wearable strain sensors are highlighted in detail. Although considerable progress has been made so far, wearable strain sensors are still in their prototype stage, and several challenges in the manufacturing of integrated and multifunctional strain sensors should be yet tackled.

This paper proposes the use of soft materials for building robotic grippers for delicate and safe interactions. The work includes concept design, fabrication and first assessment and characterization of the proposed soft gripper, a... more

This paper proposes the use of soft materials
for building robotic grippers for delicate and safe
interactions. The work includes concept design, fabrication
and first assessment and characterization of
the proposed soft gripper, a novel robotic end-effector
entirely made up of elastomeric material. As a
significant case study, it has been specifically adapted
as a grasping tool in Minimally Invasive Surgery, but
its design has been conceived in such a way that its
dimension can be easily scaled, to find application in
all those fields where a safe interaction with fragile
items or human co-workers is needed. Moreover, the
process is flexible for including further features to
enrich its behaviour.

—We present a new teleoperated micromanipulation system in which all units of the system, wearable user interface devices and a slave micromanipulator, are manufactured by engraving , cutting, and folding two-dimensional materials. The... more

—We present a new teleoperated micromanipulation system in which all units of the system, wearable user interface devices and a slave micromanipulator, are manufactured by engraving , cutting, and folding two-dimensional materials. The designed manipulation system employs a simple hydraulic mechanism consisting of pairs of syringes that have different diameters, which allows for motion reduction and physical interaction between the master and the slave. As a result, users can precisely manipulate micro-objects without tremor, which was previously difficult with bare hands. This paper presents design considerations and features fabrication methods, performance metrics of this creative manipulation system, and a range of high-level micromanipulation abilities such as pick-and-place, microseparation, and three-dimensional microassembly. Highlighting rapid design and fabrication of a low-cost precision micromanipulation system, this paper proposes new applications of folded machines to wearable robots and microrobotics.

Wachter, S., Mittelstadt, B., & Floridi, L. (2017). Transparent, explainable, and accountable AI for
robotics. Science Robotics, 2(6), eaan6080.

We present the basic module of a modular continuum arm (soft compliant manipulator for broad applications (SIMBA)). SIMBA is a robotic arm with a hybrid structure, namely a combination of rigid and soft components, which makes the arm... more

We present the basic module of a modular continuum arm (soft compliant manipulator for broad applications (SIMBA)). SIMBA is a robotic arm with a hybrid structure, namely a combination of rigid and soft components, which makes the arm highly versatile, dexterous, and robust. These key features are due to the design of its basic module, which is characterized by a three-dimensional workspace with a constant radius around its rotation axis, large and highly repeatable bending, complete rotation, and passive stiffness. We present an extensive analysis and characterization of the basic module of the SIMBA arm in terms of design, fabrication, kinematic model, stiffness, and bending behavior. All the theoretical models presented were validated with empirical results. Our findings show a positional typical error of less than ≈6% in module diameter (highly repeatable) with a passive stiffness of 0.8 N/mm (≈1 kg load). Our aim is to demonstrate that this kind of robotic element can be exploited as an elementary module of a more complex structure, which can be used in any application requiring high directional stiffness but without the need for an active stiffness mechanism, as is the case in daily activities (e.g., door opening, water pouring, obstacle avoidance, and manipulation tasks).

There is an increasing demand for soft actuators because of their importance in soft robotics, artificial muscles, biomimetic devices, and beyond. However, the development of soft actuators capable of low-voltage operation, powerful... more

There is an increasing demand for soft actuators because of their importance in soft robotics, artificial muscles, biomimetic devices, and beyond. However, the development of soft actuators capable of low-voltage operation, powerful actuation, and programmable shape-changing is still challenging. In this work, we propose programmable bilayer actuators that operate based on the large hygroscopic contraction of the copy paper and simultaneously large thermal expansion of the polypropylene film upon increasing the temperature. The electrothermally activated bending actuators can function with low voltages (≤ 8 V), low input electric power per area (P ≤ 0.14 W cm −2), and low temperature changes (≤ 35 °C). They exhibit reversible shape-changing behavior with curvature radii up to 1.07 cm −1 and bending angle of 360°, accompanied by powerful actuation. Besides the electrical activation, they can be powered by humidity or light irradiation. We finally demonstrate the use of our paper actuators as a soft gripper robot and a lightweight paper wing for aerial robotics.

A gripper is a part of a system or single device which could hold certain objects as solid materials. Soft Robotics is a new way to achieve a certain robotic mechanism which cannot be performed by the rigid body, for example, soft robots... more

A gripper is a part of a system or single device which could hold certain objects as solid materials. Soft Robotics is a new way to achieve a certain robotic mechanism which cannot be performed by the rigid body, for example, soft robots do not break and have better flexibility. In this work, four different grippers are designed from various bio-inspired gripping mechanisms. These soft robotic grippers are used for gripping different types of objects such as soft materials, food items, delicate items, etc., which cannot be gripped by the conventional rigid body robotic gripper. Fingers of these soft grippers are made with soft silicone material and their base is made with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The four grippers are actuated by pneumatic pressure, shape memory alloy wire and electromagnets. We have done experiments with these grippers for testing their gripping mechanism and force generated by the fingers while gripping an object.

Background: Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition that can dramatically impact hand motor function. Passive and active assistive devices are becoming more commonly used to enhance lost hand strength and dexterity. Soft robotics is... more

Background: Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition that can dramatically impact hand motor function. Passive and active assistive devices are becoming more commonly used to enhance lost hand strength and dexterity. Soft robotics is an emerging discipline that combines the classical principles of robotics with soft materials and could provide a new class of active assistive devices. Soft robotic assistive devices enable a human-robot interaction facilitated by compliant and lightweight structures. The scope of this work was to demonstrate that a fabric-based soft robotic glove can effectively assist participants affected by spinal cord injury in manipulating objects encountered in daily living. Methods: The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Hand Function Test was administered to 9 participants with C4-C7 spinal cord injuries to assess the functionality of the soft robotic glove. The test included object manipulation tasks commonly encountered during activities of daily living (ADL) and lift force measurements. The test was administered to each participant twice; once without the assistive glove to provide baseline data and once while wearing the assistive glove. The object manipulation subtests were evaluated using a linear mixed model, including interaction effects of variables such as time since injury. The lift force measures were separately evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

This paper presents a soft robotic glove designed to assist individuals with functional grasp pathologies in performing activities of daily living. The glove utilizes soft fabric-regulated pneumatic actuators that are low-profile and... more

This paper presents a soft robotic glove designed to assist individuals with functional grasp pathologies in performing activities of daily living. The glove utilizes soft fabric-regulated pneumatic actuators that are low-profile and require lower pressure than previously developed actuators. They are able to support fingers and thumb motions during hand closure. Upon pressurization, the actuators are able to generate sufficient force to assist in hand closing and grasping during different manipulation tasks. In this work, experiments were conducted to evaluate the performances of the actuators as well as the glove in terms of its kinetic and kinematic assistance on a healthy participant. Additionally, surface electromyography and radio-frequency identification techniques were adopted to detect user intent to activate or deactivate the glove. Lastly, we present preliminary results of a healthy participant performing different manipulation tasks with the soft robotic glove controlled by surface electromyography and radio-frequency identification techniques.

The end effector is a major part of a robot system and it defines the task the robot can perform. However, typically, a gripper is suited to grasping only a single or relatively small number of different objects. Dexterous grippers offer... more

The end effector is a major part of a robot system and it defines the task the robot can perform. However, typically, a gripper is suited to grasping only a single or relatively small number of different objects. Dexterous grippers offer greater grasping ability but they are often very expensive, difficult to control and are insufficiently robust for industrial operation. This paper explores the principles of soft robotics and the design of low-cost grippers able to grasp a broad range of objects without the need for complex control schemes. Two different soft end effectors have been designed and built and their physical structure, characteristics, and operational performances have been analyzed. The soft grippers deform and conform to the object being grasped, meaning they are simple to control and minimal grasp planning is required. The soft nature of the grippers also makes them better suited to handling fragile and delicate objects than a traditional rigid gripper. INDEX TERMS Soft robotics, pneumatic muscle actuators (PMA), self-bending contraction actua-tor (SBCA), circular pneumatic muscle actuator (CPMA), soft grippers.

Various hand exoskeletons have been proposed for the purposes of providing assistance in activities of daily living and rehabilitation exercises. However, traditional exoskeletons are made of rigid components that impede the natural... more

Various hand exoskeletons have been proposed for the purposes of providing assistance in activities of daily living and rehabilitation exercises. However, traditional exoskeletons are made of rigid components that impede the natural movement of joints and cause discomfort to the user. This paper evaluated a soft wearable exoskeleton using soft elastomeric actuators. The actuators could generate the desired actuation of the finger joints with a simple design. The actuators were characterised in terms of their radius of curvature and force output during actuation. Additionally, the device was evaluated on five healthy subjects in terms of its assisted finger joint range of motion. Results demonstrated that the subjects were able to perform the grasping actions with the assistance of the device and the range of motion of individual finger joints varied from subject to subject. This work evaluated the performance of a soft wearable exoskeleton and highlighted the importance of customisability of the device. It demonstrated the possibility of replacing traditional rigid exoskeletons with soft exoskeletons that are more wearable and customisable.

Continuum and soft robotics showed many applications in medicine from surgery to health care where their compliant nature is advantageous in minimal invasive interaction with organs. Stiffness control is necessary for challenges with soft... more

Continuum and soft robotics showed many applications in medicine from surgery to health care where their compliant nature is advantageous in minimal invasive interaction with organs. Stiffness control is necessary for challenges with soft robots such as minimalistic actuation, less invasive interaction,
and precise control and sensing. This paper presents an idea of scale jamming inspired by fish and snake scales to control the stiffness of continuum manipulators by controlling the Coulomb friction force between rigid scales. A low stiffness spring is used as the backbone for a set of round curved scales to maintain an initial helix formation while two thin fishing steel wires are used
to control the friction force by tensioning. The effectiveness of the design is showed for simple elongation and bending through mathematical modelling, experiments and in comparison to similar research. The model is tested to control
the bending stiffness of a STIFF-FLOP continuum manipulator module designed for surgery.

This article presents the development of modular soft robotic wrist joint mechanisms for delicate and precise manipulation in the harsh deep-sea environment. The wrist consists of a rotary module and bending module, which can be combined... more

This article presents the development of modular soft robotic wrist joint mechanisms for delicate and precise manipulation in the harsh deep-sea environment. The wrist consists of a rotary module and bending module, which can be combined with other actuators as part of a complete manipulator system. These mechanisms are part of a suite of soft robotic actuators being developed for deep-sea manipulation via submersibles and remotely operated vehicles, and are designed to be powered hydraulically with seawater. The wrist joint mechanisms can also be activated with pneumatic pressure for terrestrial-based applications, such as automated assembly and robotic locomotion. Here we report the development and characterization of a suite of rotary and bending modules by varying fiber number and silicone hardness. Performance of the complete soft robotic wrist is demonstrated in normal atmospheric conditions using both pneumatic and hydraulic pressures for actuation and under high ambient hydr...

Concerns associated with the delivery of electric and magnetic field (EMF) emissions through mobile communication cellular services from most cellular base transceiver stations (BTSs) prompted this work, as it is supposedly linked to... more

Concerns associated with the delivery of electric and magnetic field (EMF) emissions through mobile communication cellular services from most cellular base transceiver stations (BTSs) prompted this work, as it is supposedly linked to health hazards. This research article assesses and analyses the Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation (RF EMR) emitted by mobile cellular BTS antennas within Geidam town. With the 3-axis RF field strength meter, measurements of the RF electric field intensity, and RF-EMF power density were carried out from the BTSs at distances of 10, 20, 30, …, 100 meters within a frequency range 900 MHz to 8 GHz. Results obtained show that the RF electric field intensity and RF-EMF power density ranges from 0.2913 to 0.9014 V/m and 0.3017 to 1.265 mW/m 2 respectively. In comparison with RF EMFs safety exposure levels for the general public as stipulated by International Commission on Non-ionized Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (SCC39) for up to 300 GHz, the results obtained signifies that radiation levels from the BTS antenna are within the regulatory standards as such have no adverse effects to the members of the town. This work recommends routine assessment checks of these exposure limits as the technology is fast growing and BTSs are subject to regular upgrades.

On the embodied morphological paradigm in Robotics. co-authored with Helmut Hauser (Bristol) penultimate version. Publication forthcoming in the book series Beihefte der Allgemeinen Zeitschrift für Philosophie (Frommann und Holzboog)

Plants use many strategies to move efficiently in soil, such as growth from the tip, tropic movements, and morphological changes. In this paper, we propose a method to translate morphological features of Zea mays roots into a new design... more

Plants use many strategies to move efficiently in soil, such as growth from the tip, tropic movements, and morphological changes. In this paper, we propose a method to translate morphological features of Zea mays roots into a new design of soft robots that will be able to move in soil. The method relies on image processing and curve fitting techniques to extract the profile of Z. mays primary root. We implemented an analytic translation of the root profile in a 3D model (CAD) to fabricate root-like probes by means of 3D printing technology. Then, we carried out a comparative analysis among the artificial root-like probe and probes with different tip shapes (cylindrical, conical, elliptical, and parabolic) and diameters (11, 9, 7, 5, and 3 mm). The results showed that the energy consumption and the penetration force of the bioinspired probe are better with respect to the other shapes for all the diameters of the developed probes. For 100 mm of penetration depth and 7 mm of probe diam...

Soft robotics is a growing field of research and one of its challenges is how to efficiently design a controller for a soft morphology. This paper presents a marine soft robot inspired by the ghost knifefish that swims on the water... more

Soft robotics is a growing field of research and one of its challenges is how to efficiently design a controller for a soft morphology. This paper presents a marine soft robot inspired by the ghost knifefish that swims on the water surface by using an undulating fin underneath its body. We investigate how propagating wave functions can be evolved and how these affect the swimming performance of the robot. The fin and body of the robot are constructed from silicone and six wooden fin rays actuated by servo motors. In order to bypass the reality gap, which would necessitate a complex simulation of the fish, we implemented a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) directly on the physical robot to optimize its controller for travel speed. Our results show that evolving a simple sine wave or a Fourier series can generate controllers that outperform a hand programmed controller. The results additionally demonstrate that the best evolved controllers share similarities with the undulation patterns of actual knifefish. Based on these results we suggest that evolution on physical robots is promising for future application in optimizing behaviors of soft robots.

This paper presents exploratory research on the materiality, aesthetics and ecological potential of soft robots. Within the still emergent paradigm of soft robotics research, bio-inspiration is often hailed as being of central importance.... more

This paper presents exploratory research on the materiality, aesthetics and ecological potential of soft robots. Within the still emergent paradigm of soft robotics research, bio-inspiration is often hailed as being of central importance. The paper argues that soft robotics should equally be seen as giving prominence to materiality and the enactive and processual potential of soft matter. The paper excavates different notions of materiality within media art that uses soft robots and in technical soft robotics research practices and discourses. Against this background, the author's own practice-based experiments with soft robots are presented.

This article presents the development of an underwater gripper that utilizes soft robotics technology to delicately manipulate and sample fragile species on the deep reef. Existing solutions for deep sea robotic manipulation have... more

This article presents the development of an underwater gripper that utilizes soft robotics technology to delicately manipulate and sample fragile species on the deep reef. Existing solutions for deep sea robotic manipulation have historically been driven by the oil industry, resulting in destructive interactions with undersea life. Soft material robotics relies on compliant materials that are inherently impedance matched to natural environments and to soft or fragile organisms. We demonstrate design principles for soft robot end effectors, bench-top characterization of their grasping performance, and conclude by describing in situ testing at mesophotic depths. The result is the first use of soft robotics in the deep sea for the nondestructive sampling of benthic fauna.