An untethered isoperimetric soft robot
An untethered isoperimetric soft robot
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DOI：
10.1126/scirobotics.aaz0492
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发表时间：
2020-03
期刊：
影响因子：
25
通讯作者：
Nathan S. Usevitch;Zachary M. Hammond;M. Schwager;A. Okamura;E. Hawkes;Sean Follmer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nathan S. Usevitch;Zachary M. Hammond;M. Schwager;A. Okamura;E. Hawkes;Sean Follmer
一个大规模的，等周，无绳系，软机器人改变形状操纵恒定长度的充气管使用可移动的关节。为了使机器人在现实世界中发挥作用，它们必须在人类周围安全，适应环境，并以不受束缚的方式运行。软机器人有可能满足这些要求;然而，现有的软机器人架构受到其扩展到人类尺寸的能力的限制，并且在没有系绳的情况下在这些规模下操作以从外部源传输动力或加压空气。在这里，我们报告了一个不受约束的，充气的机器人桁架，由薄壁充气管，能够通过不断重新定位其关节的形状变化，而其总边长保持不变。具体来说，一组相同的辊模块每个都挤压管以产生分离两个边缘的有效接头，并且模块可以连接以形成复杂的结构。沿管沿着驱动辊模块改变了整体形状，延长了一个边缘并缩短了另一个边缘，而总边缘长度以及因此流体体积保持恒定。这种等周行为允许机器人在不压缩空气或需要系绳的情况下操作。我们的概念汇集了三种不同类型的机器人的优势-柔软，集体和桁架式-同时克服了每种机器人的某些限制。我们的机器人是坚固和安全的，就像软机器人，但不受系绳的限制;是模块化的，就像集体机器人，但不受复杂的子单元的限制;是形状变化的，就像桁架机器人，但不受刚性线性致动器的限制。我们展示了能够改变形状的二维（2D）机器人和能够间断滚动运动和操纵的人类规模的3D机器人，所有这些机器人都是用相同的模块化辊构造的，并且在没有系绳的情况下操作。
A large-scale, isoperimetric, untethered, soft robot changes shape by manipulating constant-length inflated tubes using movable joints. For robots to be useful for real-world applications, they must be safe around humans, be adaptable to their environment, and operate in an untethered manner. Soft robots could potentially meet these requirements; however, existing soft robotic architectures are limited by their ability to scale to human sizes and operate at these scales without a tether to transmit power or pressurized air from an external source. Here, we report an untethered, inflated robotic truss, composed of thin-walled inflatable tubes, capable of shape change by continuously relocating its joints, while its total edge length remains constant. Specifically, a set of identical roller modules each pinch the tube to create an effective joint that separates two edges, and modules can be connected to form complex structures. Driving a roller module along a tube changes the overall shape, lengthening one edge and shortening another, while the total edge length and hence fluid volume remain constant. This isoperimetric behavior allows the robot to operate without compressing air or requiring a tether. Our concept brings together advantages from three distinct types of robots—soft, collective, and truss-based—while overcoming certain limitations of each. Our robots are robust and safe, like soft robots, but not limited by a tether; are modular, like collective robots, but not limited by complex subunits; and are shape-changing, like truss robots, but not limited by rigid linear actuators. We demonstrate two-dimensional (2D) robots capable of shape change and a human-scale 3D robot capable of punctuated rolling locomotion and manipulation, all constructed with the same modular rollers and operating without a tether.