32 accepted papers
Previous work has shown that adding haptic feedback to the hands can improve awareness of tool-tissue interactions and enhance performance of teleoperated tasks in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, hand-based haptic feedback occludes direct interaction with the manipulanda of surge…
The under-actuated tendon-driven mechanism enables the development of light and compact hand-wearable robots by allowing the robots to assist in adaptive motions. However, tendon friction and elongation accumulate as the tendon passes through many joints, causing hysteresis and detrimental effects o
Previous work has shown that adding haptic feedback to the hands can improve awareness of tool-tissue interactions and enhance performance of teleoperated tasks in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, hand-based haptic feedback occludes direct interaction with the manipulanda of surge
Developing shape-changing systems is challenging, and origami offers a unique approach by transforming 2D planes into 3D structures. While existing active reconfigurable origami systems enable functional changes—such as mechanical tuning, multi-modal locomotion, and adaptive structures—they often su
Recently, intensity-adjustability, interactivity, and multi-functionality have become crucial features of home fitness devices. To accommodate these features, there has been a demand for a new type of device, leading to the development of both passive and active cable-driven exosuits. These exosuits
A significant part of the parcel delivery service occurs outside the warehouse, relying entirely on human resources to deliver parcels to the customer's doorstep. The parcel delivery officers carry and hold parcels of about 25 kg of weight during the delivery process through diverse terrains such as
Knowing the gripping force being applied to an object is important for improving the quality of the grip, as well as preventing surface damage or breakage of fragile objects. In the case of soft grippers, however, an attaching or embedding of force/pressure sensors can compromise their adaptability
Soft robotic gloves have been widely researched to enhance the quality of life of people who cannot use their hands freely. Despite significant advancements in this field, most existing solutions have not adequately addressed adaptability to various individuals and tasks. Our robot overcomes these c
Applying suction grippers in unstructured environments is a challenging task because of depth and tilt errors in vision systems, requiring additional costs in elaborate sensing and control. To reduce additional costs, suction grippers with compliant bodies or mechanisms have been proposed; however,
Robots that share activity spaces or physically interact with humans typically benefit from appropriate payload capacity, extensible workspace, low weight, safety, and space efficiency. The soft origami design and mechanism can meet many of these beneficial factors; however, achieving a high payload
We present a novel design for a multi-fingered robotic gripper, featuring underactuation and fiber-optically sensorized tendons for force sensing, inspired by the Golgi tendon organs found in biological muscles. Our robotic gripper comprises three rigid fingers, each with three joints: the metacarpo
Soft pneumatic networks (PneuNets) actuators are widely considered as a robotic solution for safety and simplicity, yet the trade-off relationship between output force and bulkiness limits usability. In this letter, we propose a deployable soft pneumatic networks (D-PneuNets) actuator consisting of
Activity data of workers can be used to manage their safety and working processes. To date, the adoption of motion measuring systems in industrial sites has been limited, due to cost and noisy environments. In this study, a motion-tracking smart work suit is presented to monitor the movements of wor
Variable stiffness mechanisms establish a bridge between rigid, precise robots and soft, compliant robots. In certain applications it is necessary to exert high forces while having compliance, such as in wearable robots, high payload soft grippers, and manipulators. Negative pressure based jamming a
Accurately detecting multiple simultaneous touches is crucial for various applications using piezoresistance sensor arrays. However, calibrating them is difficult due to their nonlinearity and hysteresis. While data-driven deep learning approaches could model complex sensor patterns, the required am
The CaseCrawler is a lightweight and low-profile movable platform with a high payload capacity; it is capable of crawling around carrying a smartphone. The body of the robot resembles a phone case but it has crawling legs stored in its back. It is designed with a deployable, in-plane transmission th
Soft actuators have been widely studied in recent years because of their ability to adapt to diverse environments and safely interact with humans. Their softness broadens their potential range of medical applications since they can provide inherent safety. Among the various motions a soft robot can…
Soft wearable hand robots with tendon-sheath mechanisms are being actively developed to assist people with lost hand mobility. For these robots, accurately estimating fingertip forces leads to successful object grasping. An approach can utilize information from actuators assuming quasi-static enviro
Layer-by-layer manufacturing of composite mechanisms allows fast and cost-effective fabrication of customized robots in millimeter and centimeter scales which is promising for research fields that rely on frequent and numerous physical iterations. Due to the limited number of components that can be
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is an effective recovery protocol for patients with stroke. However, not all the stroke patients can participate in CIMT. Devices that assist the movement of the affected side could help increase the number of stroke patients who can participate in CIMT lik
In this paper, we propose an omnidirectional jumper with expanded locomotion capabilities. The mechanisms for four functions-jumping, steering, self-righting and take-off angle adjustment-are designed using only two motors to maximize the jumping performance. Jumping uses the modified active trigger…
Integrating tactile sensors into robotic applications is still a challenge because of sensor interconnection and various form factors. Newly developed magnetic synapse sensors have high sensitivity and remote sensing capability, but integration with a robotic finger is an issue because of the air-tr
This paper introduces soft LEGO for bottom-up design platform of soft robotics that can be used for various purposes, ranging from research and fast prototyping of soft robots to toys and entertainment. We integrated the interlocking mechanism of LEGO into a modular soft robot. With this design, sof…
A critical issue for Bowden-cable transmission is bending-dependent hysteresis that degrades control performance and limits the application. The relationship between input and output of the Bowden-cable varies with the changing bending angle of the cable. This paper proposes a novel method that can…
Customization is an important issue for assistive gloves because it affects glove performance. In this letter, we propose an assembly based customizable soft pneumatic assistive glove, named Exo-Glove PM. Pneumatic soft robots generally consist of a single structure with embedded actuators. However,
In this paper, we propose a trajectory-adjustable integrated milli-scale jumping-crawling robot with improved ability to overcome obstacles compared to a robot that can only crawl. The robot employs a novel jumping module with enhanced energy storing-capacity and a height-adjustable active trigger.
This paper presents the development of a polymer-based tendon-driven wearable robotic hand, Exo-Glove Poly. Unlike the previously developed Exo-Glove, a fabric-based tendon-driven wearable robotic hand, Exo-Glove Poly was developed using silicone to allow for sanitization between users in multiple-u
In this paper, we propose a new shape-shifting system. Shape-shifting is achieved by the integration of arranged identical transformable units. These are self-folding origami modules that transform their shape from a cubic to a flat shape, and vice versa, similarly to a three-dimensional (3D) morphi
One of the major problems in utilizing origami structures is ensuring variable stiffness; a deployable structure needs to become stiff or flexible according to the requirements of its use in an application. In this study, we present a self-deploying tubular origami mechanism that switches between tw…
A soft wearable robot with a tendon drive is a promising technology that enables a wearable robot to be compact and lightweight. A soft tendon routing system was previously proposed to apply a tendon drive to a soft wearable robot.
Friction along the Bowden-cable transmission degenerates control performance unless it is properly compensated. Friction is produced when the bending angle of the Bowden-cable changes as the relative position of the actuator and the end-effector changes. This study proposes a method, termed loop rou…
A soft wearable robot, which is an emerging type of wearable robot, can take advantage of tendon-driven mechanisms with a Bowden cable. These tendon-driven mechanisms benefits soft wearable robots because the actuator can be remotely placed and the transmission is very compact. However, it is diffic…