SBIR Phase II: Human Like Robotic Grippers Using Electroactive Polymers

SBIR 第二阶段：使用电活性聚合物的类人机器人夹具

• 批准号: 1927023
• 负责人: Lenore Rasmussen
• 金额: $ 74.39万
• 依托单位: Ras Labs, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-15 至 2022-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1927023&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Human; Like

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be the development of a durable artificial material capable of life-like motion, contracting and expanding like human muscle when controlled by low voltage (12-volt batteries). This material also will replicate human grasp by sensing mechanical pressure across a dynamic range, from gentle touch to high impact. The initial application for this material will be to give tactile sensing to fingertips of robotic grippers. Existing actuators cannot provide streamlined expansion and contraction to manage a good grip while dynamically sensing grip pressure. As an extension to the robotic gripper, this material could provide a lightweight, intuitively easy-to-operate prosthetic hand. Other applications include creating pads for prosthetic sockets to maintain perfect fit; padded liners in football and workplace helmets to absorb forces and communicate impact frequency and severity; shoe inserts for athletic and therapeutic footwear absorbing force attenuation, measuring step frequency, and measuring foot positioning; adjustable lumbar support for seats; switchless consoles for the cockpit, armrests, and dashboards of automobiles; and many others. This SBIR Phase II project will advance robotic grippers by adding a material with sensing capability, with implications for prosthetic hands and other applications. In robotic grippers and prosthetic hands, there is a trade-off between strength and dexterity; furthermore, the sensory perception has not yet been well developed. For grippers, initial gentle pressure has been absent from grip processes, inhibiting handling of delicate objects. The materials under development are shape-morphing and extremely sensitive as pressure sensors. The research objectives and methods/approaches of this project are to: 1) advance the actuation speed and durability of these materials through synthetic and architectural strategies; 2) characterize the speed and detectable pressures through oscilloscopic analysis and amplification circuitry; 3) tie the shape-morphing and sensing attributes together through controlled feedback loop(s) into off-the-shelf grippers, using robust user-friendly electronics; 4) determine durability through long-term cycle testing of contraction/expansion cycles and typically encountered grip pressures (millions of cycles for each test method); and 5) produce sophisticated robotic grippers with tactile-like touch and compare the strength and dexterity with those of the human hand. The goals and scope of this project are to optimize both the shape-morphing and sensing features of these materials and use biomimetic design, particularly around the pincer grip and anatomy of the first and second digits (thumb and index finger), with the anticipated result of replicating human grasp.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.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是开发一种耐用的人造材料，能够像生命一样运动，在低电压（12伏电池）控制下像人体肌肉一样收缩和扩张。 这种材料还将通过在动态范围内感知机械压力来复制人类的抓握，从轻轻触摸到高冲击。 这种材料的最初应用将是为机器人抓手的指尖提供触觉传感。 现有的致动器不能提供流线型的膨胀和收缩以在动态地感测抓握压力的同时管理良好的抓握。 作为机器人抓取器的延伸，这种材料可以提供一种重量轻、直观、易于操作的假手。 其他应用包括为假肢接受腔制作衬垫以保持完美的配合;在足球和工作场所头盔中制作衬垫衬垫以吸收力并传达冲击频率和严重程度;用于运动和治疗鞋的鞋垫吸收力衰减，测量步频，并测量脚的位置;用于座椅的可调节腰部支撑;用于驾驶舱，扶手和汽车仪表板的无开关控制台;和其他许多人. 该SBIR第二阶段项目将通过添加具有传感能力的材料来推进机器人夹具，并对假手和其他应用产生影响。 在机器人抓取器和假手中，存在力量和灵活性之间的权衡;此外，感官知觉尚未得到很好的发展。对于抓取器，抓取过程中没有初始的温和压力，这阻碍了对精细物体的处理。 正在开发的材料是形状变形和非常敏感的压力传感器。 该项目的研究目标和方法/途径是：1）通过合成和建筑策略提高这些材料的驱动速度和耐用性; 2）通过显微镜分析和放大电路表征速度和可检测的压力; 3）通过受控反馈回路将形状变形和传感属性结合在一起，使用强大的用户友好的电子器件，将其与现成的夹具结合在一起; 4）通过收缩/膨胀循环和通常遇到的抓握压力的长期循环测试（每种测试方法数百万个循环）来确定耐久性;以及5）生产具有类似于球拍的触摸的复杂的机器人抓握器，并将其强度和灵活性与人手的强度和灵活性进行比较。 该项目的目标和范围是优化这些材料的形状变形和传感功能，并使用仿生设计，特别是围绕第一和第二手指的钳式抓握和解剖结构（拇指和食指），该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

项目成果

Synthetic Muscle Electroactive Polymer (EAP) pressure sensing and controlled shape-morphing for robotic grippers

用于机器人夹具的合成肌肉电活性聚合物 (EAP) 压力传感和受控形状变形

• DOI: 10.1117/12.2583295
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD
• 作者: Briggs, Calum;Cheng, Tianyu;Meredith, Margot;Vicars, Peter N.;Rasmussen, Lenore;Zhong, Alexander
• 通讯作者: Zhong, Alexander

Sensitive and robust electroactive polymer tactile pressure sensors and shape-morphing actuation for robotic grippers

灵敏且坚固的电活性聚合物触觉压力传感器和机器人夹具的变形驱动

• DOI: 10.1117/12.2607779
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD
• 作者: Briggs, Calum R.;Kaiser, Greg H.;Sporidis, Yanni;Vicars, Peter N.;Rasmussen, Lenore;Bowers, Matthew P.;Dogrucu, Ada;Popovic, Marko;Zhong, Alexander
• 通讯作者: Zhong, Alexander

Synthetic Muscle electroactive polymer (EAP) shape-morphing and pressure sensing for robotic grippers

用于机器人抓手的合成肌肉电活性聚合物 (EAP) 形状变形和压力传感

• DOI: 10.1117/12.2558965
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD
• 作者: Rasmussen, Lenore;Vicars, Peter N.;Briggs, Calum R.;Cheng, Tianyu;Clancy, Edward A.;Carey, Shannon;Secino, Benjamin
• 通讯作者: Secino, Benjamin