17 accepted papers
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a promising material for developing thermally-driven soft actuators due to its high force density, large elastic strain limit, and mechanically programmable nature. However, the complex trade-off between the force generated and the response speed (i.e., cooling rate…
The flexibility and dexterity of cable-driven continuum robots (CDCRs) make them well suited for intricate tasks such as minimally invasive surgery. However, the complexity of accurately modeling their dynamics has limited their broader adoption and effective control. Current models either oversimpl
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a promising material to develop thermally-driven soft actuators due to its high force density, large elastic strain limit, and mechanically programmable nature. However, the complex trade-off between the force generated and the response speed (i.e., cooling rate), a
Cutaneous haptic feedback provides a sense of touch by displaying sensations — such as vibration, skin stretch, or normal force — directly to the skin. While the majority of these devices have been designed to display one main haptic sensation, recent work has begun to explore the creation of multi-
Soft robots are well suited for various applications, including wearable robotics, haptic devices, and medical robotics, due to their inherent compliance. While there are many methods for actuating soft robots, pneumatic actuation remains the dominant choice because it enables large force output and
Concentric tube robots (CTRs) are miniaturized continuum robots that are promising for robotic minimally invasive surgeries. Control methods to date have primarily focused on controlling the robot tip. However, small changes in the tip position can result in large deviations in the shape of the robo
Drawing inspiration from natural growth and movement strategies, vine robots possess exceptional passive shape-forming abilities, enabling them to deform around obstacles. However, an intrinsic lack of active steering limits their capacity to control their growth trajectory. This letter considers th
Haptic feedback can provide operators of hand-held robots with active guidance during challenging tasks and with critical information on environment interactions. Yet for such haptic feedback to be effective, it must be lightweight, capable of integration into a hand-held form factor, and capable of…
Continuum robots are well-suited for applications in delicate and constrained environments, such as minimally invasive surgery, due to their inherent compliance and ability to conform to highly curved paths. Yet the kinematic dissimilarity between continuum robots and conventional, off-the-shelf inp
In this work, we address the problem of robust segmentation of a continuum robot from images without the need for training data or markers. We present a method that leverages information about the kinematics of these robots to produce an estimate of the robot shape, which is refined through optimiza…
The ability to sense forces is a critical component for ensuring that robots can safely interact with their environment. Yet there are numerous situations, in particular for medical applications, where environmental and sensor density requirements can pose challenges to sensor design. In our previou
In this work, we address the problem of online learning, where models must be continually updated from an incoming stream of data, while retaining past information. We develop an approach that is nonparametric, models uncertainty, and requires minimal hand-tuning. Our proposed algorithm, which we te
Soft, growing robots have the ability to conform to their environment and traverse highly curved paths that would typically prove challenging for other robot designs. As they navigate through these constrained and cluttered environments, there is often significant interaction between the robot and i…
Growing continuum robots offer improved safety and navigation in confined spaces, due to their inherent compliance and ability to conform to highly curved paths. Navigation of these, and other continuum robots, often involves frequent interactions with the surrounding environment, which are typicall
Growing robots that achieve locomotion by extending from their tip, are inherently compliant and can safely navigate through constrained environments that prove challenging for traditional robots. However, the same compliance and tip-extension mechanism that enables this ability, also leads directly
Flexible medical robots can improve surgical procedures by decreasing invasiveness and increasing accessibility within the body. Using preoperative images, these robots can be designed to optimize a procedure for a particular patient. To minimize invasiveness and maximize biocompatibility, the actua
We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially around a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot's pneumatic backbone,…