13 accepted papers
In soft robotics, actuators using both positive and negative pressures are notable for their high payload-to-weight ratios and wide operating ranges, but they require separate power sources. A single-pump system generating dual pressures presents a promising solution, though addressing pressure fluc…
This article presents ROGIBOT, an autonomous robot designed for high-speed unloading inside standard containers. Previous unloading robots have typically been limited to handling only box-shaped packages and a small number of items at a time. These limitations hinder their applicability in general l…
This paper introduces a novel origami-inspired vacuum pneumatic actuator that operates as a passive forcegenerating element, capable of producing a near-constant force without active control. The actuator is fabricated from a Yoshimura-patterned film structure incorporating rigid facets and internal
In soft robotics, actuators using both positive and negative pressures are notable for their high payload-to-weight ratios and wide operating ranges, but they require separate power sources. A single-pump system generating dual pressures presents a promising solution, though addressing pressure fluc
Commercial suction cups offer versatile solutions for adhering to a variety of objects through their good adhesion capabilities, compliance to object features, and ease of use. This has made them a practical solution for a variety of applications, and they have become ubiquitous across diverse indus
Tensegrity structures are an assembly of rigid struts in compression with elastic members in tension that are in equilibrium. The motion of tensegrity-based robots can be dynamically achieved by actively adjusting this equilibrium and has been used mainly to produce rolling robots. However, these te
Kirigami structures are human-made structures that enable the fabrication of stretchable structures from materials with limited stretching properties through the geometrical re-orientation of their features. But these structures are generally complex in shape with many edges which makes their precis
Octopuses can use as few as a single sucker to grab and hold onto objects as each sucker creates its own vacuum pressure using their individual muscles. Man-made suction arrays using vacuum pressure need mechanical solutions such as check valves for every suction cup, or they need to compensate for
This letter introduces a simultaneous positive and negative pressure controller for a pneumatic pump. For precise position or force control of the pneumatic soft actuator, the pressure from the source has to be regulated. When the positive and negative pressures are regulated, coupled dynamics cause
Humans and animals utilize stiffness-altering faculties and elastic structures embedded within their musculoskeletal systems which allow them to manipulate and locomote within natural, dynamic environments. Hence, arming soft robots with mechanisms that accord them stiffness and elasticity is a pivo
Soft pneumatic robotic grippers can be used to conduct a wide range of tasks in extreme environments as they are generally free of conductive or magnetic components. But the sensorization of these grippers can potentially make them unsuitable for such environments and lower their performance through
This paper presents a fabric actuator consisting of ordinary polymer fibers, conductive fibers, and twisted and coiled soft actuators (TCAs). Previous studies have developed a Spandex TCA (STCA) that is driven at a lower temperature than the conventional Nylon TCA and exhibits greater actuation stra…
From being soft, flexible and producing movement by contracting, soft linear actuators are said to have muscle-like properties. Due to these similarities, they are often called “artificial muscle actuator.” However, the strain produced by these actuators is generally insufficient to be utilized in a…