20 accepted papers
Control of soft robots is considered one of the key elements in achieving their intelligence. However, it faces challenging problems such as nonlinear dynamics, highly deformable structures, and operation in unpredictable situations. Numerous methods have been proposed to overcome these challenges, …
Soft robotic grippers gently and safely manipulate delicate objects due to their inherent adaptability and softness. Limited by insufficient stiffness and imprecise force control, conventional soft grippers are not suitable for applications that require stable grasping force. In this work, we propos
This study introduces soft joints to non-Euclidean (non-E) origami structures, leveraging the deformation capabilities of soft silicone membranes while maintaining structural rigidity. This integration extends the motion space, showcasing bistable characteristics and adjustable stiffness. A comprehe
Recently, there has been a notable shift towards electronics-free designs, which offer promising integration possibilities with soft robots, reducing reliance on traditional electronics. Despite numerous demonstrations showcasing logical control, contact sensors, and gait control, the conventional q…
In this letter, we present SoftSling, a soft robot control strategy designed for accurately throwing objects following circular run-ups. SoftSling draws inspiration from ancient slingers, who rotated a sling loaded with a projectile at high speeds to fight and hunt, releasing the object by letting g
Rod-driven soft robots (RDSR) with a well-balanced performance in terms of perception, precision, and intelligence have a great potential for application. Mathematical description and predicted sensing of deformable soft bodies are crucial to achieve controllable and intelligent behaviors of these r…
With infinite degrees of freedom, soft robots are expected to achieve dexterous and complex tasks, but this also puts forward higher requirements for their sensing capabilities. An important sensing task in soft robots is sensing their own deformation and current shape. Currently, most of the existi
Safe and efficient robot-environment interaction is a critical but challenging problem as robots are being increasingly employed to operate in unstructured and unpredictable environments. Soft robots are inherently compliant to safely interact with environments but their high nonlinearity exacerbate…
Lately, soft fluidic actuation has gained widespread interest in all fields where compliance and adaptability are the main keywords. Despite their well-known advantages, soft fluidic actuators frequently present problems related to the elastomeric chambers' durability, affecting the overall system r
When talking about soft robots, softness is considered the most important feature, which brings dexterity and safety in interactive tasks with humans and environments. Such softness sometimes limits the real application of soft robots because load capability and rigidity are widely needed on many oc
The focus of the research community in the soft robotic field has been on developing innovative materials, but the design of control strategies applicable to these robotic platforms is still an open challenge. This is due to their highly nonlinear dynamics which is difficult to model and the degree
Learning-based modeling and control of soft robots is advantageous due to neural network’s ability to capture complex dynamical effects with low computational cost. Continual Learning techniques add further value to these methods by allowing networks to learn from continuously available data without
Soft robots with a well-balanced performance in terms of dexterity, accuracy, and payload have a great potential for application. Balancing safe human-robot interaction with operation performance enables the use of soft robot in biomedical fields, among others, such as surgery, rehabilitation and el
Soft robotics have demonstrated great advantages in assisting elderly/disabled people during daily tasks, owing to their highly dexterous motions and safe human-robot interactions. However, simultaneously controlling the position and force of soft robots is still a challenging task due to soft actua
The central concept of this letter is to develop an assistive manipulator that can automate the bathing task for elderly citizens. We propose to exploit principles of soft robotic technologies to design and control a compliant system to ensure safe human-robot interaction, a primary requirement for
Dynamic control of soft robotic manipulators is a challenging field still in its nascent stages. Modeling is still a major hurdle due to its high dimensional nonlinear dynamic properties. Even if accurate models of these high dimensional nonlinear systems are available, the computational burden of t
Designing and manufacturing actuators using soft materials are among the most important subjects for future robotics. In nature, animals made by soft tissues such as the octopus have attracted the attention of the robotics community in the last years. Suckers (or suction cups) are one of the most im…
This letter reports the concept and design of the active-braid, a novel bioinspired continuum manipulator with the ability to contract, extend, and bend in three-dimensional space with varying stiffness. The manipulator utilizes a flexible crossed-link helical array structure as its main supporting
In this letter, a fundamental model for underwater legged locomotion, called U-SLIP, is presented and implemented on a robotic platform. Unlike traditional locomotion models, U-SLIP addresses specific hydrodynamic contributions, such as drag, buoyancy, and added mass. By taking as a reference the US
This paper reports on the development and validation of the elastodynamics model of an innovative underwater soft-bodied robot inspired by cephalopods. The vehicle, for which the model is devised, is propelled by a discontinuous activation routine which entails the collapse of an elastic shell via c…