EFRI C3 SoRo: Programming Thermobiochemomechanical (TBCM) Multiplex Robot Gels

该项目旨在通过创造一种新型的可进行热生化编程的软水凝胶，将传感、计算和驱动直接集成到微米至毫米级软机器人的身体结构中。这种集成对于构建能够在复杂的现实环境中发挥作用的自主机器人至关重要。该项目旨在为这些凝胶机器人的设计、编程、验证和制造开发一个全面的框架。机器人将对环境中的温度和生化线索做出反应，做出决定，并执行多步运动程序，使它们能够朝着预期的方向移动。该项目将解决连续软机器人在水凝胶力学、生化传感、路径规划和控制方面的基础科学和工程挑战，使高效设计和制造凝胶机器人硬件以及用生化软件对其进行编程成为可能。这些机器人将在海洋、生物和医疗环境中有潜在的应用，包括医疗环境中的体内靶向和诊断。该项目还将通过约翰霍普金斯大学新的和已建立的外展项目，为本科生和K-12学生提供研究机会，包括那些来自代表性不足群体的学生。该项目的目标是开发一个框架，用于构建广泛的亚毫米级热生化机械（TBCM） C3机器人，以结构水凝胶的形式，其中化学传感器、执行器和计算设备系统取代传统机器人中的电子传感器、执行器和控制器。该项目的研究目标是开发热和DNA反应水凝胶，并利用这些材料与先进的图案和打印技术来组装机器人，这些机器人可以对与人类环境和生理条件相关的TBCM线索做出反应。硬件设计将由生物分子软件框架、基于力学的计算和降阶控制模型指导，以实现规划和感官反馈控制。这项工作的更广泛影响包括促进STEM参与的K-12外展计划，在同行评审期刊上传播研究成果，传播代码和数据，以及为本科和研究生教学开发新的教育材料。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to integrate sensing, computation, and actuation directly into the body structure of a micrometer- to millimeter-scale soft robot, by creating a new class of soft hydrogels that can be thermally and biochemically programmed. This integration is critical for constructing autonomous robots that can function in complex, real-world environments. This project seeks to develop a comprehensive framework for the design, programming, validation, and fabrication of these gel robots. The robots will respond to temperature and biochemical cues from the environment, make decisions, and execute multistep motion programs that will allow them to move in a desired direction. The project will address fundamental scientific and engineering challenges in hydrogel mechanics, biochemical sensing, path planning, and controls for continuum soft robots, making it possible to efficiently design and manufacture the hardware for gel robots and to program them with biochemical software. These robots will have potential applications in marine, biological and medical environments, including in vivo targeting and diagnostics in medical settings. The project will also provide research opportunities to undergraduate and K-12 students, including those from underrepresented groups, via new and established outreach programs at Johns Hopkins University. The goal of this project is to develop a framework for building a broad class of submillimeter-scale thermobiochemomechanical (TBCM) C3 robots in the form of architected hydrogels in which systems of chemical sensors, actuators, and computing devices replace the electronic sensors, actuators, and controllers in traditional robots. The research objectives of the project are to develop thermal and DNA responsive hydrogels and utilize these materials with advanced patterning and printing techniques to assemble robots that can respond to TBCM cues which are of relevance to human environmental and physiological conditions. Hardware design will be guided by a biomolecular software framework, mechanics based computational and reduced-order control models to enable planning and sensory feedback control. The broader impacts of this work include K-12 outreach programs to foster participation in STEM, dissemination of the research in peer-reviewed journals, dissemination of code and data and the development of new educational materials for undergraduate and graduate instruction.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.