A Preprogrammable Continuum Robot Inspired by Elephant Trunk for Dexterous Manipulation

Zhang, Jie; Li, You; Kan, Ziyun; Yuan, Qiufeng; Rajabi, Hamed; Wu, Zhigang; Peng, Haijun; Wu, Jianing

doi:10.1089/soro.2022.0048

Cited by 27 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Moreover, a spring system was integrated to connect neighboring links and restrict their lateral motion. Advancements in this direction were made by Huang [ 164 ] and Zhang [ 165 ], who transformed the concepts from [ 162 , 163 ] into parallel-segment structures driven by cable systems. They subsequently developed mathematical models to systematically investigate, analyze, and assess the performance of these grippers in manipulation tasks.…”

Section: Animal-inspired Grippersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioinspiration and Biomimetic Art in Robotic Grippers

Nguyen,

Dhyan,

Mai

et al. 2023

Micromachines

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The autonomous manipulation of objects by robotic grippers has made significant strides in enhancing both human daily life and various industries. Within a brief span, a multitude of research endeavours and gripper designs have emerged, drawing inspiration primarily from biological mechanisms. It is within this context that our study takes centre stage, with the aim of conducting a meticulous review of bioinspired grippers. This exploration involved a nuanced classification framework encompassing a range of parameters, including operating principles, material compositions, actuation methods, design intricacies, fabrication techniques, and the multifaceted applications into which these grippers seamlessly integrate. Our comprehensive investigation unveiled gripper designs that brim with a depth of intricacy, rendering them indispensable across a spectrum of real-world scenarios. These bioinspired grippers with a predominant emphasis on animal-inspired solutions have become pivotal tools that not only mirror nature’s genius but also significantly enrich various domains through their versatility.

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Section: Animal-inspired Grippersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioinspiration and Biomimetic Art in Robotic Grippers

Nguyen,

Dhyan,

Mai

et al. 2023

Micromachines

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“…In contrast, animals in nature employ their muscles to achieve unrestricted 3D multi-DOF movements, as demonstrated by an elephant's trunk or an octopus's tentacles. To mimic such movements, several studies have fabricated continuum arms by connecting synthetic modules capable of 3D multi-DOF motion with tensegrity structures [21,22]. The tensegrity structure offers several advantages, including stability, flexibility, and robustness [23,24], making it suitable for robot applications [25,26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biohybrid tensegrity actuator driven by selective contractions of multiple skeletal muscle tissues

2023

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Biohybrid robots are robots composed of both biological and artificial materials that can exhibit the unique characteristics commonly found in living organisms. Skeletal muscle tissues can be utilized as their actuators due to their flexibility and ON/OFF controllability, but previous muscle-driven robots have been limited to one-degree-of-freedom (DOF) or planar motions due to their design. To overcome this limitation, we propose a biohybrid actuator with a tensegrity structure that enables multiple muscle tissues to be arranged in a 3D configuration with balanced tension. By using muscle tissues as tension members of tensegrity structure, the contraction of muscle tissues can cause the movement of the actuator in multiple degrees of freedom. We demonstrate the fabrication of the biohybrid tensegrity actuator by attaching three cultured skeletal muscle tissue made from C2C12 cells and fibrin-based hydrogel to an actuator skeleton using a snap-fit mechanism. When we applied an electric field of more than 4 V mm-1 to the skeletal muscle tissue, the fabricated actuator had a structure to tilt in multiple directions through the selective displacement of about 0.5 mm in a specific direction caused by the contractions of muscle tissue, resulting in 3D multi-DOF tilting motion. We also show that the actuator possesses superior characteristics of tensegrity structure such as stability and robustness by assessing the response of the actuator to external force. This biohybrid tensegrity actuator provides a useful platform for the development of muscle-driven biohybrid robots with complex and flexible movements.

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“…[ 15 ] For example, Zhang et al developed a bio‐inspired continuum robot by integrating springs with varying stiffness into a modular tensegrity structure. [ 16 ] As the structural stiffness significantly varies between the modules, the robotic curvature can be programmed to conformally interact with varying environments. In addition, Ke et al presented a programmable robotic paradigm that was constructed by discretely presetting graded structural properties to enhance the interaction efficiency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Reconfigurable Continuum Robot with Varying Curvature Enabled by Programmable Tensegrity Building Blocks

Zhang¹,

Shi²,

Huang³

et al. 2023

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Reconfigurable continuum robots exhibit programmable interaction capability, enabling them to cope with challenges poorly addressed by conventional rigid robots. However, the regulation of the module type and/or sequence may result in time‐consuming and labor‐intensive problems. Therefore, in situ reconfiguration schemes are required to develop in a simple yet robust solution for continuum robot design. Herein, inspired by the structure characteristics of the seahorse tail, an original template based on a tensegrity building block (TBB) for creating an in situ reconfigurable continuum robotic paradigm is proposed. As the length of the stretchable struts in the TBB could be programmed, five typical homologous types from the template are derived. Then, ten TBBs into a continuum robot are assembled and the multi‐body dynamic framework is employed to develop a mechanical model for predicting the profile after deformation. Theoretical predictions demonstrate that the robotic shape can be customized in situ by switching the type of TBBs, without disassembling the robot. Furthermore, the tailored continuum robotic configurations are applied to conformally interact with the varying‐curvature objects. The experimental results suggest that the proposed programmable template offers a facile and rapid reconfiguration scheme for the continuum robots, which greatly improves the robotic interaction capability.

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A Preprogrammable Continuum Robot Inspired by Elephant Trunk for Dexterous Manipulation

Cited by 27 publications

References 32 publications

Bioinspiration and Biomimetic Art in Robotic Grippers

Bioinspiration and Biomimetic Art in Robotic Grippers

Biohybrid tensegrity actuator driven by selective contractions of multiple skeletal muscle tissues

In Situ Reconfigurable Continuum Robot with Varying Curvature Enabled by Programmable Tensegrity Building Blocks

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