Article
Engineering, Biomedical
J. Merson, N. Parvez, R. C. Picu
Summary: The study investigates indentation in network biomaterials and demonstrates a size effect that prevents the use of the Hertz model to infer the elastic constants of the material when the indenter radius is smaller than approximately 12 times the mean segment length of the network. The findings provide guidelines for selecting indentation conditions that ensure the applicability of the Hertz model. Additionally, the method can also be used to estimate the mean segment length of the network based on indentations with different indenter sizes.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Robotics
Ryan Coulson, Christopher J. Stabile, Kevin T. Turner, Carmel Majidi
Summary: A novel stiffness and adhesion tuning gripper is developed using thermally induced phase change technology, showing significant increase in adhesion strength during pull-off tests. A finite element model is employed to simulate the behavior of the gripper, while pick-and-place demonstrations highlight its ability to delicately grasp objects of various shapes, sizes, and weights.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Gaoyang Pang, Geng Yang, Wenzheng Heng, Zhiqiu Ye, Xiaoyan Huang, Hua-Yong Yang, Zhibo Pang
Summary: The new collaborative robot skin (CoboSkin) enhances safety in human-robot collaboration by providing softness, variable stiffness, and sensitivity features. It is composed of inflatable and sensing units, with the ability to measure distributed contact force and adjust stiffness by varying air pressure.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Robotics
Ran Zhao, Houde Dai, Hanchen Yao
Summary: This study proposes a functionally reconfigurable soft robot based on composites, which can achieve variable responses and stiffness through re-patterning of magnetic domains and stiffness programming technique. It has broad prospects for various applications.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mirit Sharabi
Summary: Studying the structure and deformation mechanisms of soft fibrous tissues provides valuable insights for soft-tissue repair and replacement applications. This understanding can be used to develop new materials and improve the understanding of the structure-function relationship in simple material systems.
FRONTIERS IN MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
R. Thilagam, S. Mubeena, Alan Mathew Punnose, A. Gnanamani
Summary: This study investigates the differentiation of myoblasts in bioengineered 3D composite scaffolds containing keratin and gelatin. The results show that the elastic modulus, water uptake, and degradation rate of the scaffolds significantly impact the myogenesis processes. Compared to HM1 scaffold, composite scaffolds HM2 and HM3 facilitate myogenesis. Among HM2 and HM3, the HM3 scaffold exhibits accelerated myogenesis, significant expression of myogenin mRNA levels, and extensive myotube development.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Luojing Huang, Hongsheng Hu, Qing Ouyang
Summary: This paper presents a variable stiffness pneumatic soft robot based on magnetorheological grease (MRG) to solve the problem of insufficient stiffness in conventional pneumatic soft robots. The robot's three soft fingers cooperate with an adjustable gripper to adjust the gripping range and provide gripping driving force through a bending drive. The MRG layer on the gripping surface provides adaptivity and rigid support for the gripped objects. The experiment proves the variable and high adaptivity of the surface stiffness, reducing damage to the gripped objects.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chuan Wei Zhang, Weifeng Zou, Hai Chao Yu, Xing Peng Hao, Guorui Li, Tiefeng Li, Wei Yang, Zi Liang Wu, Qiang Zheng
Summary: This article introduces a manta ray-inspired soft robot fish, which uses tough and stiff hydrogels as structural elements and a dielectric elastomer as the actuating unit to achieve swimming motions. The robot fish has good stability and speed, and is suitable for a wide temperature range. Its high water content provides good optical and acoustic stealth properties, and it can be easily integrated with other functional units/systems.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Mingxia Liu, Shu Zhu, Yanjia Huang, Zihui Lin, Weiping Liu, Lili Yang, Dengteng Ge
Summary: This study demonstrates the fast 3D assembly, multifunctionality, and self-healing properties of soft robots using a self-healing light-driven shape memory polymer. Through photo-welding, complex structured soft robots can be rapidly assembled in different environments, allowing for function changes.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Jiakai Chen, Fugui Xie, Xin-Jun Liu, Weiyao Bi
Summary: This paper introduces an adsorption machining robot for processing large-scale structural parts and proposes a stiffness modeling method and a stiffness isotropy index to evaluate the overall stiffness performance of the robot under various working conditions.
JOURNAL OF MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
XinYu Guo, WenBo Li, WenMing Zhang
Summary: This research focuses on the design strategy of elastic composite pneumatic actuator (ECPA), achieving the goal of improving the performance and response speed of the actuator. Experimental results show that the rapid response capability and adjustable mechanical characteristics of ECPA enable the designed high-speed robots to have the characteristics of high strength and fast response.
SCIENCE CHINA-TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Qingyu Xiao, Mishek Musa, Isuru S. Godage, Hao Su, Yue Chen
Summary: This paper presents a novel stiffness modulation approach for soft robots, which can control the robot's stiffness on-demand without permanently affecting its intrinsic compliance. The approach uses a Nitinol tube as the backbone to achieve stiffness modulation. Experimental results show that the proposed design can accurately estimate the shape of the soft robot and enhance its kinematic workspace. The potential applications of this design are demonstrated in object manipulation and soft laparoscopic photodynamic therapy.
JOURNAL OF MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yahao Liu, Yuansheng Wang, Xue Yang, Jian Zheng, Wei Huang, Yu Zhang, Xiao Zhang, Xuan Wang
Summary: In this study, a facial PVA coating method was used to fabricate FM phase-changing particles, resulting in stiffness variable polymer composites. The composites showed improved rigid/soft stiffness ratio and excellent shape memory properties. The prepared composites were then applied in a 3D printing soft actuator, which exhibited fast heating-cooling time and high load capacity, demonstrating excellent actuate behavior and stiffness switchable ability.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Jae-Young Lee, Yong-Sin Seo, Chanhun Park, Je-Sung Koh, Uikyum Kim, Jongwoo Park, Hugo Rodrigue, Byeungin Kim, Sung-Hyuk Song
Summary: The universal soft gripper with shape-adaptive skin and stiffness transition feature can effectively grip complex-shaped fragile objects, preventing damage to the objects.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Robotics
Zhaoyu Liu, Yuxuan Wang, Jiangbei Wang, Yanqiong Fei, Qitong Du
Summary: The aim of this work is to design and model a novel modular bionic soft robot for crawling and crossing obstacles. By analyzing the influence of working pressure and manufacturing size on the stiffness of the robot, a nonlinear variable stiffness model is established, and the spatial states and design parameters are discussed. The feasibility of the robot and model is verified through experiments.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Jianwen Zhao, Shu Wang, David McCoul, Zhiguang Xing, Bo Huang, Liwu Liu, Jinsong Leng
SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2016)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Jianwen Zhao, Shu Wang, Zhiguang Xing, David McCoul, Junyang Niu, Bo Huang, Liwu Liu, Jinsong Leng
SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2016)
Article
Robotics
Zhiguang Xing, Junming Zhang, David McCoul, Yanzhen Cui, Lining Sun, Jianwen Zhao
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Zhiguang Xing, Jun Lin, David McCoul, Dapeng Zhang, Jianwen Zhao
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Robotics
Zhiguang Xing, Fengxu Wang, Yiming Ji, David McCoul, Xinbo Wang, Jianwen Zhao
Summary: Stiffness variation is essential in soft robots, providing both flexibility and carrying capacity, especially for continuum manipulators with a high slenderness ratio. A novel omnidirectional steering flexible manipulator with large-range and fast-response stiffness variation was designed and fabricated in this study, achieving stiffness variation through LMPA phase transition and heat exchange via a copper tube embedded in the manipulator structure. The manipulator demonstrated significant stiffness variations in a short time frame and successfully completed tasks such as screw tightening and loosening.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yongze Li, Jianyu Wu, Peizhuo Yang, Lizhong Song, Jun Wang, Zhiguang Xing, Jianwen Zhao
Summary: This study reports a method of controlling far-field microwave-driven parallel robots by changing the polarization direction of microwaves, which enables multi-degree-of-freedom control through adjusting energy distribution. The parallel robot has a fast thermal response rate and can perform different movements at a certain distance.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fengxu Wang, Zhiguang Xing, Xinbo Wang, Jianwen Zhao
2019 2ND IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOFT ROBOTICS (ROBOSOFT 2019)
(2019)
