Soft 3D printed robots with a monolithically integrated artificial nervous system

具有单片集成人工神经系统的软 3D 打印机器人

• 批准号: 2129523
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Sussex
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2129523
• 关键词: Soft; 3D; printed; robots; monolithically

Recent advances in materials science and new fabrication processes have driven a paradigm shift in electrical and mechanical engineering. Instead of rigid bulky structures such as silicon wafers and metal frames, soft biomimetic approaches are envisioned. Novel semiconductors and polymeric substrates result in flexible electronics which can be unobtrusively attached to biological or synthetic tissue and be used to realize sensor systems which naturally conform to static or dynamic three-dimensional surfaces. At the same time, 3D printing and soft robots offer the possibility to realize mechanical systems which are reconfigurable and able to mimic the deformability of living organisms. Soft robots can collaborate with humans and even be attached to the human body acting as exoskeletons. In this project, both approaches should be combined to realize a soft gripper with the mechanical capabilities of a human hand and the ability to sense local pressure and temperature on its surface. Arrays of corresponding flexible sensors on the gripper's surface should be connected by microchannels filled with conductive liquid metal, acting as a synthetic nervous system. The data collected by the sensors will be used as feedback to control the activity of pneumatic actuators inside the gripper. All elements will be monolithically integrated using 3D printed rubber. This is of high interest for the fabrication of artificial limbs and the precise manipulation of small objects, and involves the following research tasks:- Monolithic integration of soft electrical (sensors) and mechanical (support and actuators) structures.- Strain sensors able to distinguish between external pressure and deformation of the gripper.- 3D printing of micro channels with extreme aspect ratios, and surface modification to enable the permanent injection of eutectic InGa, acting as highly deformable liquid conductor.- Interface between synthetic liquid nerves, sensor arrays, and readout electronics.

材料科学和新制造工艺的最新进展推动了电气和机械工程的范式转变。人们设想采用软仿生方法，而不是硅晶片和金属框架等刚性笨重结构。新型半导体和聚合物基板产生柔性电子器件，可以不显眼地附着在生物或合成组织上，并用于实现自然地符合静态或动态三维表面的传感器系统。同时，3D打印和软机器人为实现可重构并能够模仿生物体变形的机械系统提供了可能性。软机器人可以与人类协作，甚至可以作为外骨骼附着在人体上。在这个项目中，这两种方法应该结合起来，实现一种具有人手机械能力和感知其表面局部压力和温度的能力的软夹具。夹具表面上相应的柔性传感器阵列应通过填充导电液态金属的微通道连接，充当合成神经系统。传感器收集的数据将用作反馈来控制夹具内气动执行器的活动。所有元素都将使用 3D 打印橡胶整体集成。这对于假肢的制造和小物体的精确操纵具有很高的兴趣，并涉及以下研究任务：-软电气（传感器）和机械（支撑和执行器）结构的单片集成。-能够区分外部压力和夹具变形的应变传感器。-具有极端纵横比的微通道的3D打印，以及表面改性以实现共晶的永久注入 InGa，充当高度可变形的液体导体。-合成液体神经、传感器阵列和读出电子设备之间的接口。