PIRE: Advanced Artificial Muscles for International and Globally Competitive Research and Education in Soft Robotics

这个国际项目解决了一个重要的技术问题。柔软的机器人。软机器人是机器人、机电一体化和自动化领域的一个重要新兴领域。软机器人组件和系统提供了新的功能和传统的机器人设备的进步。该项目的重点是创建基于新型聚合物-金属复合材料的先进多功能人造肌肉（AM），可用于软机器人应用。人造肌肉可以改变数百万残疾人的生活。增材制造的发展将有利于仿生软机器人、医疗诊断和工具以及侵入性手术系统。基于离子聚合物-金属复合材料（IPMCs）的可靠、经济、易于扩展的增材制造技术的潜在市场是巨大的。如果成功且成本有效，对人有何影响？美国的生命和经济可能会受到非常重大的影响。国际合作伙伴来自韩国科学技术院（KAIST）机械工程系和海洋系统工程研究生院，以及日本国家先进工业科学技术院（AIST）无机功能材料研究所混合执行器组。国际团队拥有强大的制造工程专业知识，并拥有必要的计算和实验资源。日本软机器人研究的实力和韩国非常活跃的行业努力尤其有价值。由于其柔软灵活的结构和模拟生物肌肉运动的能力，ipmc被认为是未来软机器人系统中增材制造技术的优秀候选者。IPMC材料的主要挑战包括：与使用氟化离子聚合物相关的相对较高的制造成本、低致动力和有限的控制精度。该项目将汇集来自世界各地的专家，以解决这些挑战，为软机器人应用开发有效的基于ipmc的AMs。

This international project addresses a technologically important issue ?soft robotics. Soft robotics is an important emerging field in robotics, mechatronics, and automation. Soft robotic components and systems offer new features and advances over conventional robotic devices. This project focuses on the creation of advanced multifunctional artificial muscles (AM) based on new polymer-metal composites which can be used in soft robotic applications. Artificial muscles can be transformative for millions of people with disabilities. The development of AM will benefit biomimetic soft robotics, medical diagnostics and tools, and invasive surgical systems. The potential market for reliable, cost-effective and easily scalable Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs)-based AM technology is substantial. If successful and cost effective, the impact on people?s lives and on economies could be very significant. The international partners are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Graduate School of Ocean Systems Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Hybrid Actuator Group, Inorganic Functional Material Research Institute at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. The international team has strong expertise in manufacture engineering and has the necessary computational and experimental resources. The strength of soft robotics research in Japan and very active industry efforts in Korea are especially valuable. Owing to their soft and flexible structure and ability to emulate the motion of biological muscles, IPMCs are considered excellent candidates for future AM technology in soft robotic systems. The main challenges with IPMC materials include: relatively high fabrication costs associated with the use of fluorinated ionic polymers, low actuation force, and limited control accuracy. This project will bring together experts from around the world to address these challenges toward developing effective IPMC-based AMs for soft robotic applications.