22 accepted papers
Soft growing robots are a new type of soft mobile robots that can move in environments that are challenging for conventional wheeled robots and interact with the surrounding environment. The bodies of existing soft growing robots are constructed from one tube without branches, which limits their mov
Numerous robot grippers have been developed to reduce energy consumption by utilizing contact forces with fixed objects. In underwater environments, most objects are not fixed, particularly in the mid and surface layers, posing a challenge for obtaining contact forces. To address this issue, this st
Robotic end-effectors have been developed for various applications. Most of them are driven by electric or pneumatic actuator/actuators, which usually make the end-effector bulky and vulnerable due to the external cables and air tubes. In this study, we propose a novel passive robotic gripper with a…
Finite deformation is the principal actuation basis of elastomer-based pneumatic soft actuators. Desired deformation behavior is the key design requirement for such actuators. The objective of current study is to optimize the design of a flat shell gripper and to investigate its interaction with a c
In this paper, we propose a simple analytical model for pneu-net soft actuator. The model is based on Euler– Bernoulli finite strain hyperelastic thin cantilever beam theory. The deformation of the air chambers is modelled using infinitesimal strain membrane theory. The proposed theoretical model es…
In this study, the influence of the contact area on measurements by a soft capacitive force sensor was analyzed. Based on the results, a method for selecting a dielectric material to reduce the contact area influence on the sensor is proposed. First, the soft capacitive force sensor was approximated
A soft tactile fingertip was developed to provide the contact feedback on characteristics of an object for performing automatic assembly of electronic parts, such as a thin circuit board. However, designing a tactile fingertip with simple design and minimal number of sensors that can estimate orient
This letter proposes a sensor using conductive fabric that can detect proximity and contact by measuring the capacitance between the sensor and the surrounding environment. Due to the flexibility of the sensor used, it can be easily integrated with industrial robot arms to monitor proximity and cont
There is an increasing interest in morphological computation due to its advantages in exploring underlying mechanism of soft robotics, especially in tactile sensing. This letter introduces the idea of variable afferent network morphology (VANmorph) for describing the phenomenon that morphology chang
Previously, we presented the concept of a novel haptic display device that could generate lateral localized displacement on a human fingertip. This device is characterized by a bundle of haptic pins whose ends gently make contact with a human fingertip. In this paper, we proposed a dynamic model of…
This study presented a prestressed soft gripper fabricated with 3-D printing technology. The gripper can realize a large contact area while grasping and simultaneously generate large initial opening without deflating the soft actuators. The soft actuator was 3-D printed as two separate parts: the so
This paper presents a novel approach to the fabrication of a soft robotic hand with contact feedback for grasping delicate objects. Each finger has a multilayered structure, consisting of a main structure and sensing elements. The main structure includes a softer layer much thicker than a stiffer la
This paper presents a new approach for active tactile sensation that utilizes soft morphological computation. This work is inspired by human finger's wet-induced wrinkles, which appear after a long time soaking in water, and has been indicated as an efficient means for enhancement of gripping in wet…
Soft robotics is an emerging field that focuses on the development and application of soft robots. Due to their highly deformable features, it is difficult to model and control such robots. In this paper, we proposed a simplified model to simulate a fluidic elastomer actuator (FEA). The model consis
A novel three axis force sensor, based on magnetic flux measurements, was used in the fingers of a gripper. The force sensor uses three Hall Effect sensors orthogonally placed at the base of a hemisphere made of silicon rubber. A neodymium permanent magnet was inside the hemisphere. When a force was…
Human-in-the-loop task involving soft contact has become common in robotic manipulation research, especially in tele-operation and robotic surgery. Soft contact in this task may include a soft-fingered robot hand gripping a rock, or robotic control of forceps to pick up a tissue sample. In these sce
Human-in-the-loop task involving soft contact has become common in robotic application, especially in physical human-robot interaction. In this task, it is required that robot would sense interactions with human by touching, as well as assess possibility of human approaching by proximity sensation.…
In recent researches relating to robotic fingers, a novel power transmission mechanism had been designed, and developed as Twist-drive Actuators or Twisted String Actuator systems (TSA). These actuation structures, state of the art, include compact designs, light-weight mechanical structures, inhere…
We describe an aerial robot equipped with an upward directed hand on top of a quadrotor airframe for realizing an aerial manipulation task at high altitude, considering a work space above the robot. The aerial robot in this study consists of a small quadrotor platform, a robotic hand module includin…
Difficulties in automatic handling of many food materials are due to their softness and easy deformability by external forces. Excessive deformation of food materials damages their quality and must be avoided. Another difficulty in automatic food handling is the irregular shape and size of food mate…
This paper develops a novel robotic joint mechanism by means of twisting a small-diameter round-belt, which enables slow movements of joint rotation unlike direct-drive actuator mechanisms. The actuator mechanism proposed in this manuscript is composed of two small-diameter round-belts located near…
Materials and textures identification is a desired ability for robots. Developing such systems require tactile sensors that have enough sensitivity and spatial resolution, and the computational intelligence to meaningfully interpret sensor data. This paper introduces a texture classification algorit…