CAREER: Bio-inspired design methods for distributed electromechanical actuators

摘要：该项目的目标是创建一类模块化和分布式机电致动器及其动力网络，使机器人敏捷、高效，并能够再现当今不可能实现的生物运动。动物天生具有在复杂和非结构化环境中有效移动和机动的能力。仿生机器人的最新进展使协作机器人或“协作机器人”概念化，它们将在多种环境下与人类互动。虽然最先进的仿生机器人已经实现了精细的操作，但这种系统还没有完全复制其生物对手的优雅、流动性和敏捷性。我们迫切需要重新想象这些机器人，不仅是机械连接和人工智能的体现，而且是机电执行器的复杂网络。该项目旨在模拟生物脊柱。模拟脊柱机制的分布式执行器将提高机器人在搜索、救援和恢复中的机动性、效率和稳定性，使其成为救灾以及监视、侦察、检查和勘探应用的第一道防线。拟议的研究轨迹将推动这些机器人的硬件进步，与人工智能和自主控制的爆炸能力融合，拯救人类生命，增强国家安全。此外，主动合成脊柱为设计逼真的外骨骼、阻止儿童脊柱畸形、增强中风患者的上半身康复治疗、执行全身机器人远程操作以及增加社交机器人的非语言能力提供了机会。综合教育和推广计划旨在通过机器人作为催化剂，激发K-12学生对机电和电力电子的好奇心，这是我们现代文明的基础。脊椎是动物提供灵活性和平衡的基础，同时允许有效的运动。合成脊柱的构造与其他标准的机器人机构（如手臂和腿）有很大的不同，因为它有多个单关节段，每个关节段的活动范围有限。该设计策略将利用有限的位移要求来提高执行器的扭矩-重量比。而不是采用传统的电动马达，利用剪切应力产生运动，提出的无齿轮设计将使用正应力。机械弹簧和电磁元件的集成设计将实现定制的扭矩-位移特性，以实现顺应性和高效率，类似于肌肉。提出了适当的控制和估计技术，以改变输出扭矩和顺应性。设计方法将通过构建一个合成脊柱的硬件原型来验证。该项目计划利用将数学和理论与现实世界系统（如机器人和自动化系统）的工艺联系起来的研究结果构建演示套件。这些演示套件将吸引和激励K-12学生，代表性不足的群体，以及更广泛的受众关于电力和能源处理。演示工具包的蓝图也将与K-12教育工作者分享，以帮助他们教授他们的STEM俱乐部。总之，所提出的框架是建立对机器人和自动化系统中的分布式执行器及其动力网络的多学科理解的基础，并通过教育途径推进机器人劳动力。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。

Title: CAREER: Bio-inspired design methods for distributed electromechanical actuatorsAbstract: The project objective is to create a class of modular and distributed electromechanical actuators and their power network that will enable robots to be agile, efficient, and capable of reproducing biological motions that today are impossible. Animals have the innate capability to move and maneuver effectively in complex and unstructured environments. Recent advances in bio-inspired robots have conceptualized collaborative robots or "cobots", which will interact with humans in multiple settings. Although state-of-the-art bio-inspired robots have achieved exquisite maneuvers, such systems have yet to closely replicate the grace, fluidity, and agility of their biological counterparts. There is a critical need to re-imagine these robots not only as an embodiment of mechanical linkages and artificial intelligence but also as a complex network of electromechanical actuators. The project aims to emulate a biological spine. A distributed actuator mimicking the spine mechanism will improve mobility, efficiency, and stability of robots in search, rescue, and recovery making them the first line of defense for disaster relief as well as surveillance reconnaissance, inspection, and exploration applications. The proposed research trajectory will catapult hardware advances in these robots to converge with the exploding capability of artificial intelligence and autonomous control, saving human lives and enhancing national security. Further, an active synthetic spine opens up opportunities to design a life-like exoskeleton, arrest spine deformities in children, augment upper-body rehabilitation therapy for stroke patients, perform whole-body robotic teleoperation, and add non-verbal capability in social robots. The integrated education and outreach plan aims to ignite curiosity in K-12 students about electromechanics and power electronics--foundations of our modern civilization--by using robotics as the catalyst.A spine is fundamental to providing flexibility and balance in animals while allowing efficient locomotion. Construction of a synthetic spine is remarkably different from other standard robotic mechanisms, such as arms and legs, due to the presence of multiple single-joint segments, each with a limited range of motion. The design strategy will take advantage of the limited displacement requirement to increase the actuator's torque-to-weight ratio. Instead of employing conventional electric motors that utilizes shear stress to generate motion, the proposed gearless design will use normal stress. Integrated design of mechanical springs and electromagnetics will enable a customized torque-displacement characteristic to achieve compliance and high efficiency--similar to muscles. Deployment of appropriate control and estimation techniques is proposed to vary output torque and compliance. The design methodology will be validated by constructing a hardware prototype of a synthetic spine. The project plans to construct demonstration kits using research results that connect math and theory to the craft of real-world systems such as robots and automated systems. These demo kits will attract and inspire K-12 students, underrepresented groups, and a broader audience about electrical power and energy processing. The demo kits blueprint will also be shared with K-12 educators to help them teach their STEM clubs. In summary, the proposed framework is the basis to build a multi-disciplinary understanding of distributed actuators and their power network in robots and automated systems and to advance the robotics workforce through educational pathways.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.