New Flexing Soft-Robotics Mimic Biological Movements

Bending a finger, elbow or knees may seem simple to us intuitively, but designing a robot to do the same is a complex task.

New methods developed by soft robotics engineers allow for automatic designing of soft actuators for motion simulation, as opposed to manually designing the actuator motion.

Finger motion

The automatic designing of actuators will promote a more rapid design process and deployment of a prototype for other robotics developers. Otherwise it's a manual design process.

Hands operate in a certain range of motion, with twists, extensions, expansions and bends. We have moving, organic parts that are capable of changing shape. To do this with machine technology is something hard to imagine being done with metal parts.

Hand motion

Soft robotics engineers research and develop non rigid robots with soft and deformable materials like silicone, plastic, fabric, rubber, or compliant mechanical parts like springs. This allows for enhanced interactivity with the environment.

Soft actuator 3D printed by Cornell

Each complex motion requires different points of motion, which is the hard part for robotics to emulate with such precision. One actuator is not enough to produce complex motions, therefore you need a sequence of actuator segments that act in unison from one single input to perform different motions.

The newly designed soft actuators have components to mimic extension, expansion, twisting and bending, so that a complex kinematic motion can be replicated.

Designing an actuator that replicates a complex input motion

Modeling a fiber-reinforced actuator.

As shown above, and in the image below, the team used this model of fluid-powered, fiber-reinforced actuators to design a soft robot that bends like a finger or thumb.

Thumb motion

Also, look at these tests of individual factors, like extending, twisting and bending on their own. I don't know about you, but I can't make my finger longer when I twist it or extend it on it's own. This technology can add more extension and functionality to robotic fingers compared to human fingers.

Analytical predictions and experimental results

This soft robotics technology can be applied to design a robotic arm that moves along a certain path to do a certain task, or another example is as a wearable robot that assists with certain movement, such as the lifting of heavy objects, or climbing certain terrain.