CAREER: Whole Skin Locomotion Inspired by Amoeboid Motility Mechanisms

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）研究项目探索了一种新的移动的机器人运动机制，其灵感来自于单细胞生物的运动机制，该机制使用细胞质流来产生用于运动的伪足。我们称之为“全皮肤运动”（WSL），它通过一个细长的环形体工作，环形体在一个连续的运动中将自身从内向外翻转，有效地产生阿米巴中细胞质流动的外质管的整体运动。我们的初步实验表明，使用WSL机制的机器人可以很容易地在障碍物之间或倒塌的天花板下挤压，并使用其所有的接触面进行牵引向前移动，甚至可以通过直径远小于其标称宽度的孔挤压自己。这种独特的移动性使WSL成为搜索和救援机器人的理想运动方法，这些机器人需要在瓦砾上或瓦砾下穿行，或者用于医疗应用，如机器人内窥镜，机器人需要将自己移动到狭小的空间。本研究计画结合基础分析与实验研究，针对新型WSL机构之设计与开发。这是通过以下方式实现的：应用变形虫运动机制的生物学理论开发WSL驱动模型;对这些模型进行力学分析;进行设计参数研究，包括功率效率和力传递特性;建立实验装置进行验证;开发宏观和微观尺度的新型驱动器;以及制造用于演示和评估的机器人原型。所提出的活动的智力价值在于一个新的一类机制，产生一个外翻运动的致动环的膨胀和收缩运动用于一种新型的生物启发的运动策略移动的机器人的原始概念的发展，并在设计中促进生物灵感的概念。这种新的机制也将使智能材料，如电活性聚合物，以新的方式使用，打开大门，新的，创造性的和令人兴奋的领域，如“软机器人”。"

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) research project explores a novel locomotion mechanism for mobile robots which is inspired by the motility mechanisms of single celled organisms that use cytoplasmic streaming to generate pseudopods for locomotion. The Whole Skin Locomotion (WSL), as we call it, works by way of an elongated toroid which turns itself inside out in a single continuous motion, effectively generating the overall motion of the cytoplasmic streaming ectoplasmic tube in amoebae. Our preliminary experiments show that a robot using the WSL mechanism can easily squeeze between obstacles or under a collapsed ceiling and move forward using all of its contact surfaces for traction, or even squeeze itself through holes with diameters much smaller than its nominal width. This unique mobility makes WSL the ideal locomotion method for search-and-rescue robots that need to traverse over or under rubble, or for medical applications such as robotic endoscopes where a robot needs to maneuver itself into tight spaces. This research project combines fundamental analytical and experimental research towards the design and development of the novel WSL mechanism. This is achieved by; applying biological theories of amoeboid motility mechanisms to develop WSL actuation models; performing analysis for the mechanics of these models; conducting parametric studies for design including power efficiency and force transmission characteristics; building an experimental apparatus for validation; developing macro and micro scale novel actuators; and fabricating robot prototypes for demonstration and evaluation. The intellectual merits of the proposed activities lie in the development of an original concept of a new class of mechanism that generates an everting motion from the expanding and contracting motion of actuating rings to be used for a new type of biologically inspired locomotion strategy for mobile robots, and in promoting the concept of bio-inspiration in design. This novel mechanism will also enable smart materials such as electroactive polymers to be used in new ways, opening the door for new, creative and exciting areas such as "soft robotics."