Title
Configuration Modeling Of A Soft Robotic Element With Selectable Bending Axes
Abstract
This paper presents an approach for modeling new soft robotic materials which possess the ability to control directional stiffness. These materials are inspired by biological systems where movements are enabled by variable stiffness tissue and contraction of localized muscle groups. Here a low-melting-point (LMP) material lattice embedded in an elastomer serves as a rigid skeleton that may be locally melted to allow bending at selectable joint locations. The forward kinematics of the lattice has been modeled using the product of exponentials method with the incorporation of bending axis selectivity. In this paper, we develop this model to account for torques imposed by tendons, and we model the elastomer's resistance to bending as a torsional spring at the selected joints. Thus we obtain a twoway relationship between tendon forces and joint angles/axes. The concept of applying traditional robot modeling strategies to selectively compliant robotic structures could enable precise control of dexterous soft robots that satisfy stringent safety criteria.
Year
DOI
Venue
2019
10.1109/IROS40897.2019.8967659
2019 IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYSTEMS (IROS)
Field
DocType
ISSN
Torque,Lattice (order),Computer science,Stiffness,Mechanical engineering,Torsion spring,Control engineering,Bending,Forward kinematics,Robot,Elastomer
Conference
2153-0858
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
0
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Emily Allen101.01
Brandon C. Townsend200.34
John P. Swensen364.16