NRI: Achieving Selective Kinematics and Stiffness in Flexible Robotics

这个研究项目将采用一种叫做层流干扰的效应来制造机器人结构，这种结构可以在高度柔顺和接近刚性之间可控地过渡。精确的位置控制通常需要刚性，而与人类安全舒适的互动则需要顺从。例如，在帕金森病的震颤抑制等辅助应用中，需要结合这两种特征。在制造环境中，机器人与人类协同工作也是必要的。层流干扰结构由多个平行层组成，这些层通常很容易相互滑动。然而，当层流结构受到挤压时，这些层由于摩擦力而被锁在一起。该项目将推导出在外力作用下可计算的层流结构模型，以实现参数化设计和实时控制。层流干扰装置的制造简单且价格低廉，降低了在商业应用和教育环境中广泛使用的障碍。为了确保结果的传播，参考设计、干扰元件的配置、应用原型、测试和性能数据将发布在一个受欢迎的软机器人网站上。层流干扰和软机器人技术的结合为机器人的设计和行为开辟了一个全新的领域。由于梁的弯曲刚度与其厚度的三次方成正比，因此即使是少数层也会在卡住时产生显著的刚度增加。这个项目的目标是定义技术的能力，推导并验证基本的潜在原则。该项目包括三个研究子任务：执行器设计和测试，计算和分析建模，以及关键应用的实现。该项目的结果将为机器人提供一套丰富的构建模块，将软机器人和刚性机器人的优势特征结合起来。

This research project will employ an effect called laminar jamming to create robotic structures that controllably transition between highly compliant and nearly rigid. Precise position control typically requires rigidity, while safe and comfortable interactions with humans requires compliance. The need to incorporate both characteristics arises, for example, in assistive applications such as tremor suppression in Parkinson's disease. It is also necessary for robots working collaboratively with humans in manufacturing settings. Laminar jamming structures are composed of multiple parallel layers that ordinarily slide easily over each other. However, when the laminar structure is squeezed the layers become locked together by friction forces. This project will derive computationally tractable models of laminar structures under external forcing, to enable parametric design and real-time control. Fabrication of laminar jamming devices is simple and inexpensive, lowering barriers to widespread use, both in commercial applications and in educational settings. To ensure dissemination of the results, reference designs, configurations of jamming elements, application prototypes, and testing and performance data will be posted on a popular soft robotics website.The combination of laminar jamming and soft robotics opens an entirely new range of robot designs and behaviors. Because the bending stiffness of a beam is proportional to the third power of its thickness, even a few laminae can produce dramatic increases in stiffness when jammed. The goal of this project is to define the capabilities of the technology and derive and validate the fundamental underlying principles. The project consists of three research subtasks: actuator design and testing, computational and analytical modeling, and implementation of key applications. The results of the project will provide a rich set of building blocks for robots that combine the advantageous features of both soft and rigid robots.