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--软机器人技术。软机器人是机器人学、机电一体化和自动化领域的一个重要新兴领域。软机器人部件和系统提供了比传统机器人设备更多的新功能和新技术。该项目致力于创造先进的多功能人工肌肉(AM)，基于新型聚合物-金属复合材料，可用于软机器人应用。人造肌肉可以为数以百万计的残疾人带来变革。AM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外科系统。基于离子聚合物-金属复合材料(IPMCs)的可靠、低成本且易于扩展的AM技术的潜在市场是巨大的。如果成功并具有成本效益，对人们？S的生活和经济的影响可能是非常重大的。国际合作伙伴来自韩国高级科学技术研究所(KAIST)的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研究所(AIST)的混合执行器组、无机功能材料研究所。国际团队在制造工程方面拥有强大的专业知识，并拥有必要的计算和实验资源。特别值得一提的是，日本的软机器人研究实力和韩国非常活跃的行业努力。由于其柔软灵活的结构和模拟生物肌肉运动的能力，IPMCs被认为是未来软机器人系统中AM技术的极佳候选者。IPMC材料的主要挑战包括：与使用含氟离子聚合物相关的相对较高的制造成本、较低的驱动力以及有限的控制精度。该项目将汇集来自世界各地的专家，以应对这些挑战，为软机器人应用开发有效的基于IPMC的AM。

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.