13 accepted papers
Soft robots,compared to rigid robots,possess inherent advantages,including higher degrees of freedom, compliance,and enhanced safety,which have contributed to their increasing application across various fields. Among these benefits, adaptability is particularly noteworthy. In this paper, adaptabilit…
Dynamic modeling and control are critical to unlocking soft robots’ potential, yet remain challenging due to complex constitutive behaviors and real-world operating conditions. Bio-inspired musculoskeletal robots, which integrate rigid skeletons with soft actuators, combine the advantages of heavy l…
In this paper, we propose an earthworm-inspired miniature pipeline robot capable of self-sensing odometry. The robot features a dielectric elastomer actuator as its elongation body and two specially designed passive anchors to achieve unidirectional motion without slipping. The odometry was achieved
Exploring high hydrostatic pressure environments such as deep sea presents significant challenges to robotic devices, for they often rely on strong yet heavy and costly protective structures to shield components from being crushed by the extreme pressure. To dismiss the need for bulky protection she
Negative pressure (NP) therapy with sliding suction is an effective method for limb lymphedema. Due to the caregiver shortage and the patients increase, the robotic NP therapeutic system with a variable-sized suction head can be used to help the lymphedema therapy. However, the varying complexity of
Soft continuum robots are increasingly valued for their remarkable flexibility, but accurate shape reconstruction remains challenging due to their infinite degrees of freedom and high nonlinearity. Existing approaches often rely on either simplified-curvature statics equations for physical derivatio
In this work, we propose a high-voltage, high-frequency control circuit for the untethered applications of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). The circuit board leverages low-voltage resistive components connected in series to control voltages of up to 1.8 kV within a compact size, suitable for f
Negative pressure (NP) therapy is effective in managing chronic lymphedema of the extremities. However, the seal formation of the general head (GH) can fail due to the interspace between the lip and the irregular skin surface on limbs before suction, resulting in the inefficiency of therapy, prolong
Active exoskeletons for tremor suppression show potential for treatment of pathological tremor thanks to their non-invasive nature. However, the active force was only used for the voluntary movement following. As a potential alternative, fluidic elastomer actuators (FEAs) possess compliance and flex
As the focus on highly intelligent robots continues, a problem that cannot be ignored has emerged: resource con-straints. Considering the game problem of resource limitation and the level of intelligence, we focus on lightweight intelligence. This work is a further refinement of our previous work, a…
Mobile robots that can adapt to an extensive range of terrains play essential roles in many applications. Millipedes are one of the most terrain-adaptive creatures in nature due to their multi-legged locomotion and flexible body. Inspired by natural millipedes, we report an untethered robotic millip
Fluidic Elastomer Actuators (FEAs) provide new opportunities for developing agile, adaptive, and strong mobile robots for field explorations. In this letter, we propose a soft-rigid coupled linear FEA with a bio-comparable energy density of 10.9 J/kg at 50 kPa. This actuator achieves an increased bl
A soft orthotic with position control enabled via embedded optical fiber is presented. The design, manufacture, and integration of both the pneumatically powered actuators and optical sensors are described. This orthotic actuator-sensor pair is self-contained and worn on a human finger. When un-powe