NRI: Vine Robots: Achieving Locomotion and Construction by Growth

与受动物运动启发的腿式机器人相比，该项目探索了受植物生长启发的机器人运动。具体来说，该项目为以类似于葡萄藤的方式生长的机器人系统奠定了基础。在其可访问的区域内，藤蔓机器人不仅提供传感，还提供物理管道-例如生长到火灾的水管，或生长到被困灾难受害者的氧气管。该项目将展示藤蔓状机器人能够将自己配置或编织成三维物体和结构，如梯子，通信天线和庇护所。这些新型协作机器人旨在以比传统机器人更低的成本改善人类的安全、健康和福祉，从而实现类似的结果。由于其成本低廉，藤蔓机器人提供了特殊的教育机会;该项目将包括为K-12学生创建和测试廉价的教育模块。这项工作将生物启发机器人的概念从动物扩展到植物，运动的概念从点对点运动扩展到生长。与传统的地面移动机器人相比，传统的地面移动机器人倾向于基于与表面重复间歇接触的动物形态，藤蔓形态始于根部，具有力量和逻辑，并使用生长进行延伸，在整个过程中增加永久接触。该项目将展示一个软机器人，它的长度可以增长100倍以上，能够承受踩踏，能够穿过四分之一高度的缝隙，能够爬楼梯和垂直墙壁，能够在粗糙、湿滑、粘性和水生地形上航行。该设计采用了生物启发的策略，将材料通过核心移动到尖端，使机器人藤蔓的既定部分相对于环境保持静止。一个薄壁管充满空气，因为它的增长，使藤蔓机器人最初存储在一个小体积在其基地，并延长非常大的距离时，可控地部署。 机械建模和新的设计工具将使任务特定的藤蔓机器人的搜索和救援，可重构的通信天线和建筑的发展。通过增长实现运动和构造的范式将产生集成驱动、传感、规划和控制的新技术;机器人设计的新原理和软件工具;以及推动协作机器人边界的人道主义应用。

In contrast to legged robots inspired by locomotion in animals, this project explores robotic locomotion inspired by plant growth. Specifically, the project creates the foundation for classes of robotic systems that grow in a manner similar to vines. Within its accessible region, a vine robot provides not only sensing, but also a physical conduit -- such as a water hose that grows to a fire, or an oxygen tube that grows to a trapped disaster victim. The project will demonstrate vine-like robots able to configure or weave themselves into three-dimensional objects and structures such as ladders, antennae for communication, and shelters. These novel co-robots aim to improve human safety, health, and well-being at a lower cost than conventional robots achieving similar outcomes. Because of their low cost, vine robots offer exceptional educational opportunities; the project will include creation and testing of inexpensive educational modules for K-12 students.This work broadens the concept of bio-inspired robots from animals to plants, the concept of locomotion from point-to-point movement to growth. In contrast to traditional terrestrial moving robots that tend to be based on the animal modality of repeated intermittent contacts with a surface, the vine modality begins with a root, harboring power and logic, and extends using growth, increasing permanent contacts throughout the process. This project will demonstrate a soft robot capable of growing over 100 times in length, withstanding being stepped on, extending through gaps a quarter of its height, climbing stairs and vertical walls, and navigating over rough, slippery, sticky and aquatic terrain. The design adopts a bio-inspired strategy of moving material through the core to the tip, allowing the established part of the robotic vine to remain stationary with respect to the environment. A thin-walled tube fills with air as it grows, allowing the vine robot to be initially stored in a small volume at its base, and to extend very large distances when controllably deployed. Mechanical modeling and new design tools will enable the development of task-specific vine robots for search and rescue, reconfigurable communication antennas, and construction. The paradigm of achieving movement and construction through growth will produce new technologies for integrated actuation, sensing, planning, and control; novel principles and software tools for robot design; and humanitarian applications that push the boundaries of collaborative robotics.