Passive, Reflex Response Units for Reactive Soft Robotic Systems
Passive, Reflex Response Units for Reactive Soft Robotic Systems
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DOI：
10.1109/lra.2020.2985618
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发表时间：
2020-07-01
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Conn, Andrew T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Partridge, Alix J.;Conn, Andrew T.
随着机器人系统进入不断扩大的行业范围，对动态环境的快速有效响应变得越来越重要。本文介绍了一种用于气动软机器人系统快速驱动的被动反射响应（PRR）单元。PRR装置由一个带有软单向阀的压力储层组成，通过将销穿过其孔即可打开该阀。该装置受到环境的机械刺激，导致将储存的气动压力释放到软机器人系统的体内。PRR装置的原型具有三种不同的阀门尺寸（6mm、9mm和11mm），适用于油藏压力范围（0.2 bar至1.2 bar）。接在测压元件上的一个销钉随后被放入阀门孔中，直到阀门打开。在与软结构耦合的连续测试中，记录了力和压力动态，以及气动网弯曲执行器的曲率。对于所有阀门尺寸，打开阀门所需的力随着内部压力的增加而成比例地增加，最小力为0.98牛，最大力为4.68牛。系统排气时间随着阀门尺寸的增加而减少，从1.2 bar时6毫米孔径系统的排气时间为1.30秒，到11毫米孔径系统的排气时间为0.53秒。当与气动网弯曲执行器集成在一起时，由于需要在气动网约束层上施加额外的力，当内部压力增加到0.5 bar时，打开11mm孔径所需的力增加到15.82 N。当充电到0.5 bar的内部压力时，PRR单元在0.37秒内启动气动净化器。这证明了反应性软机器人系统如何在不需要高级控制的情况下快速响应机械环境刺激。
As robotic systems enter an ever expanding spectrum of industries, it is becoming increasingly important that they are built to respond quickly and efficiently to dynamic environments. This letter presents a passive, reflex response (PRR) unit for quick actuation of pneumatic soft robotic systems. The PRR unit consists of a pressure reservoir with a soft one way valve that can be opened by passing a pin through its aperture. The device is mechanically stimulated by the environment, leading to the release of stored pneumatic pressure into the body of a soft robotic system. Prototypes of the PRR unit were characterized with three different valve sizes (6 mm, 9 mm and 11 mm) across a range of reservoir pressures (0.2 bar to 1.2 bar). A pin, attached to a load cell, was then lowered into the valve aperture until it opened. Force and pressure dynamics were recorded, along with the curvature of a pneu-net bending actuator during successive testing of the unit when coupled with a soft structure. For all valve sizes, the force required to open the valve increased proportionally with increasing internal pressure, with a minimum force of 0.98 N and a maximum force of 4.68 N. Time to vent the system decreased with increasing valve size, from 1.30 s to vent the system with the 6 mm aperture at 1.2 bar, to 0.53 s to vent the system with an 11 mm aperture. When integrated with a pneu-net bending actuator, the force required to open the 11 mm aperture increased to 15.82 N when charged to 0.5 bar of internal pressure due to the added force required to push on the constraining layer of the pneu-net. The PRR unit actuated the pneu-net in 0.37 s when charged to 0.5 bar of internal pressure. This demonstrates how reactive soft robotic systems can rapidly respond to mechanical environmental stimuli without the need for high-level control.