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Researchers at Northwestern College’s McCormick School of Engineering have created an innovative, soft robotic system capable of mimicking human-like movement through the contraction and expansion of its artificial muscles.
Researchers unveiled their innovative creation, dubbed an , by deploying it to fabricate a slender, serpentine robotic cylinder and a synthetic human bicep. In experiments, a dexterous cylindrical robot effortlessly traversed the intricate, hairpin bends within a narrow, pipelike environment, while its robust biceps enabled it to lift a 500-gram weight an impressive 5,000 times consecutively without faltering.
Researchers successfully 3D-printed the physical structure of a delicate actuator using standard rubber, resulting in robots costing approximately $3 in materials, minus the cost of a small motor required to drive the actuator’s shape-shifting mechanism. In stark contrast to traditional rigid and unyielding actuators commonly used in robotics, these innovative devices come at a fraction of the cost – typically ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Researchers suggest the brand-new actuator could be harnessed to create affordable, safer, and more practical actuators for real-world applications.
Northwestern University’s Ryan Truby, leader of the effort, noted that roboticists have been driven by a persistent goal: making robots safer. When a dainty robot collides with someone, the impact is likely to cause less damage than if a rigid and heavy robot were to strike them. The actuator could be employed in robots designed to excel in human-centered settings, offering enhanced functionality and seamless interaction with humans. As a direct consequence of their affordability, we are confident that we can utilize them in novel and innovative ways that were previously deemed too expensive to consider.
As the June and Donald Brewer Jr. Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, Truby oversees The Robotic Matter Lab as its director. As lead author on the paper and a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Truby’s lab, Taekyoung Kim spearheaded the data analysis. Pranav Kaarthik, a Ph.D. A mechanical engineering student also lent their skills to the project.
Robots capable of behaving and transferring information akin to living organisms?
While traditional actuators have long been the bedrock of robotic innovation, their rigid limitations in terms of flexibility, adaptability, and safety have prompted researchers to seek out more sophisticated alternatives. Researchers at Truby’s team draw parallels between the intricate mechanics of human muscle tissue, where concurrent contraction and stiffening occur seamlessly, to inform their development of sophisticated actuators.
How do you manufacture materials that exhibit properties akin to those of a muscle? “If we succeed in attempting this, we can create robots that mimic the behavior and adaptability of dwelling organisms.”
To create a revolutionary new actuator, researchers utilized additive manufacturing techniques to produce novel cylindrical structures, dubbed “handed shearing auxetics” (HSAs), from a specially formulated rubber material. Difficult to produce, High-Security Assemblies (HSAs) boast a sophisticated design that enables unique functions and characteristics. When subjected to torsional stress, high-strength alloys (HSAs) exhibit increased durability and enhanced mechanical properties. While Truby and Kaarthik have successfully 3D-printed HSA-related structures for robotics applications thus far, their methods have relied on expensive printers and rigid plastic materials that limit flexibility. Hence, their initial HSAs were unable to flex or warp easily.
“We had hoped to find an option that could tailor HSAs to be more pliable and resilient,” said Kim. “We developed durable yet fragile hybrid silica aerogels (HSAs) from rubber using an affordable and readily available desktop 3D printer.”
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Kim printed the heat-stable adhesives (HSAs) from thermoplastic polyurethane, a widely used standard material commonly employed in cellphone cases. While this modification rendered the HSAs significantly more pliable and adaptable, a lingering issue persisted: how to coax the HSAs into continuous expansion.
Earlier versions of HSA delicate actuators employed recurring servo motors to manipulate the supplies into extended and contracted states? Despite their efforts, the researchers only managed to achieve profitable actuation when combining two or four HSAs, each equipped with its own motor, in a collaborative setup. Delicately constructing actuators on this scale introduced formidable fabrication and operational hurdles. This modification further reduced the suppleness of the HSA actuators.
Researchers sought to develop a refined actuator by designing a single Harmonic Spring Actuator (HSA) driven by a single servo motor. The team initially sought to identify a viable solution for powering a solitary High-Speed Actuator (HSA) with a single motor.
Researchers showcased the capabilities of their brand-new actuator by utilising it to design a worm-like robot capable of navigating complex, narrow spaces. | Credit score: Northwestern College
Simplifying ‘the whole pipeline’
To overcome this limitation, Kim incorporated an adjustable, accordion-like rubber component into the design, which functioned as a flexible, rotary axle. Since the motor provided torque – an rotational force – the actuator extended smoothly. Operating the motor in a single direction or its reverse causes the actuator to either extend or retract.
According to Truby, Taekyoung designed and engineered two advanced rubber components that mimic muscle movements when activated by a simple motor switch. “While traditional approaches to creating delicate actuators have relied on complex and laborious methods, Taekyoung revolutionized the process by leveraging the precision and speed of 3D printing.” Now we finally have a practical and versatile actuator that any robotics expert can utilize to create innovative applications.
Kim successfully fabricated a self-propelled, intricate robotic crawler using a solitary actuator and the assistance of the bellows. The actuator’s push-pull motions propelled the robot through a simulated pipe environment with winding constraints.
“Our robotic system can perform this extension motion using a single architecture,” Kim stated. “This enhancement enables our actuator to become even more versatile, seamlessly integrating into various robotic systems.”
The lacking piece: muscle stiffening
This tiny robot, measuring just 26 centimeters in length, moved with deliberate slowness, inching its way along the ground at a pace of approximately 32 centimeters per minute. Truly, robotic and synthetic biceps are designed to stiffen as the actuator reaches its maximum extension. This was yet another milestone achieved by advanced robotic systems previously incapable of accomplishing such complex tasks.
“As he demonstrated, these slender actuators possess a remarkable ability to stiffen.” “When grasping the lid of a jar, people often intuitively comprehend how their muscle fibers contract and stiffen to generate force.” Your muscles play a crucial role in enabling your body to perform various tasks by providing the necessary support and movement. This function has historically been overlooked in the field of delicate robotics. While many delicate actuators soften under load, our robust actuators instead exhibit increased stiffness with use.
Researchers Truby and Kim claim that their innovative actuator is a significant step forward in developing robots with enhanced bio-inspired capabilities.
As robots capable of transferring their physical form like living organisms emerge, we’ll be able to envision machines undertaking tasks that traditional robots cannot accomplish.
