Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?
Softer is Harder: What Differentiates Soft Robotics from Hard Robotics?
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DOI：
10.1557/adv.2018.159
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发表时间：
2018-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
0.8
通讯作者：
Alici, Gursel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Alici, Gursel
本文报道了区别于传统的硬（即刚体）机器人领域的软（即软体）机器人。主要区别在于将致动、感测、运动传输和转换机构元件、电子器件和电源无缝地组合成连续体，该连续体理想地保持形态计算和可编程顺应性（即柔软度）的特性。另一个不同之处在于它们是由什么材料制成的。虽然硬机器人由刚性材料制成，例如体积弹性模量低至1 GPa的金属和硬塑料，但整体软机器人应由软材料和硬材料或最大弹性模量为1 GPa的软材料和硬材料的战略组合制成。具有可编程机械，电气和流变特性的软智能材料，以及基于3D打印的增材制造，对于实现软机器人至关重要。选择驱动概念及其电源，这是建立机器人的第一步也是最重要的一步，决定了软机器人的尺寸，重量，性能，传感器的类型及其位置，控制算法，功率要求及其相关的柔性和可拉伸电子设备。本文概述了软材料在实现驱动概念方面的重要性，这可以从动物和植物运动中获得灵感。
This paper reports on what differentiates the field of soft (i.e. soft-bodied) robotics from the conventional hard (i.e. rigid-bodied) robotics. The main difference centres on seamlessly combining the actuation, sensing, motion transmission and conversion mechanism elements, electronics and power source into a continuum body that ideally holds the properties of morphological computation and programmable compliance (i.e. softness). Another difference is about the materials they are made of. While the hard robots are made of rigid materials such as metals and hard plastics with a bulk elastic modulus of as low as 1 GPa, the monolithic soft robots should be fabricated from soft and hard materials or from a strategic combination of them with a maximum elasticity modulus of 1 GPa. Soft smart materials with programmable mechanical, electrical and rheological properties, and conformable to additive manufacturing based on 3D printing are essential to realise soft robots. Selecting the actuation concept and its power source, which is the first and most important step in establishing a robot, determines the size, weight, performance of the soft robot, the type of sensors and their location, control algorithm, power requirement and its associated flexible and stretchable electronics. This paper outlines how crucial the soft materials are in realising the actuation concept, which can be inspired from animal and plant movements.