Acquisition of earthworm-like movement patterns of many-segmented peristaltic crawling robots

Saga, Norihiko; Tesen, Satoshi; Sato, Toshiyuki; Nagase, Jun-ya

doi:10.1177/1729881416657740

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Previous works on peristaltic [3,5,[7][8][9][10][11] and caterpillar crawling robots [4,[12][13][14] have used actuators such as shape-memory alloys, pneumatic pumps, servo motors, and magnetic fluid. However, issues with existing designs include poor structural compliance due to rigid components [7,10,12], structural complexity [10,12] making miniaturization difficult, and tethered operation [5,12,14] limiting the autonomous operation of the robot especially in narrow space. To address these problems, we propose a lightweight, soft crawler made of magneto-active elastomers (MAE), enabling the robot to crawl untethered within a pipe while being controlled using magnets on the outside of the tube.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Magneto-Active Elastomer Crawler with Peristaltic and Caterpillar Locomotion Patterns

2021

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In this work we present a soft crawler fabricated using a magneto-active elastomer. The crawler is controlled by an external magnetic field to produce two locomotion patterns: peristaltic and caterpillar crawling. Due to its structural simplicity, low mass, wirelessly controlled actuation and compliant body the design of this crawler has the potential to address the key challenges faced by existing crawling robots. Experimental data were gathered to evaluate the performance of the crawler locomotion in a pipe. The results validated the mathematical models proposed to estimate the distance traveled by the crawler. The crawler shows potential for use in exploration of confined spaces.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Magneto-Active Elastomer Crawler with Peristaltic and Caterpillar Locomotion Patterns

2021

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“…This is because numerous control variables would result in an extremely huge design space. Consequently, searching for (nearly) optimal gaits for given locomotion tasks would become computationally heavy and slow [22]. Hence, establishing a generic control scheme which could reduce the number of control variables and could be easily extended to hyper-redundant robots with any number of segments is significant for real-time applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-plane gait planning for earthworm-like metameric robots using genetic algorithm

Zhan

Fang

2020

Bioinspir. Biomim.

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Locomotion of earthworm-like metameric robots results from shape changes of deformable segments. Morphologically, the segments could stretch, contract or bend by changing their states. Periodic shape changes are recognized as gaits of the robots. Robots could employ different gaits for different locomotion tasks. However, earthworm-like robots generally possess a number of independent segments and their hyper-redundant morphology (Chirikjian G S and Burdick J W 1995 IEEE Trans. Robot. Autom. 11 781-93) poses a challenge to gait planning for their locomotion. Hence, the goal of this paper is to establish a framework of in-plane gait planning for earthworm-like robots. To this end, a generic model of earthworm-like robots modelled in our prior work (Zhan X et al 2019 Int. J. Robot. Res. 38 1751-1774) is firstly reviewed and in-plane gaits of the robot are parameterized by adopting the principle of retrograde peristaltic wave (Quillin K J 1999 J. . Following this, gaits of earthworm-like robots could be uniquely determined by gait parameters, and gait planning of the robots is then reduced to optimizing the gait parameters. The framework mainly consists of a locomotion simulation module and a genetic algorithm module. In the locomotion simulation, the performance of each gait would be evaluated, and then gait parameters get evolved based on the fitness in the genetic algorithm module. To evaluate the fitness of each gait, two objective functions, i.e., the distance to goals and the number of locomotion steps the earthworm-like robot taken before reaching the goals, are to be minimized in the optimization. Besides, two stopping criteria are proposed to improve the efficiency of evaluation. The framework proposed in the paper could plan in-plane gaits of earthworm-like robots, in contrast, only rectilinear locomotion is considered in similar works. This greatly advances the state of art of earthworm-like robots.

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“…McKibben artificial muscles [2,3]) or structural mechanisms (e.g. buckled beams [13,15], linkage structures [14,26], and coupled cables [17,26]). With coupled deformations, it would not be necessary to employ multiple types of actuators or set additional bristles on the segments, which could greatly simplify the robot design, reduce the number of actuators, and increase the system robustness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origami-based earthworm-like locomotion robots

Fang¹,

Zhang²,

Wang³

2017

Bioinspir. Biomim.

116

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Inspired by the morphology characteristics of the earthworms and the excellent deformability of origami structures, this research creates a novel earthworm-like locomotion robot through exploiting the origami techniques. In this innovation, appropriate actuation mechanisms are incorporated with origami ball structures into the earthworm-like robot 'body', and the earthworm's locomotion mechanism is mimicked to develop a gait generator as the robot 'centralized controller'. The origami ball, which is a periodic repetition of waterbomb units, could output significant bidirectional (axial and radial) deformations in an antagonistic way similar to the earthworm's body segment. Such bidirectional deformability can be strategically programmed by designing the number of constituent units. Experiments also indicate that the origami ball possesses two outstanding mechanical properties that are beneficial to robot development: one is the structural multistability in the axil direction that could contribute to the robot control implementation; and the other is the structural compliance in the radial direction that would increase the robot robustness and applicability. To validate the origami-based innovation, this research designs and constructs three robot segments based on different axial actuators: DC-motor, shape-memory-alloy springs, and pneumatic balloon. Performance evaluations reveal their merits and limitations, and to prove the concept, the DC-motor actuation is selected for building a six-segment robot prototype. Learning from earthworms' fundamental locomotion mechanism-retrograde peristalsis wave, seven gaits are automatically generated; controlled by which, the robot could achieve effective locomotion with qualitatively different modes and a wide range of average speeds. The outcomes of this research could lead to the development of origami locomotion robots with low fabrication costs, high customizability, light weight, good scalability, and excellent re-configurability.

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Acquisition of earthworm-like movement patterns of many-segmented peristaltic crawling robots

Cited by 12 publications

References 22 publications

A Magneto-Active Elastomer Crawler with Peristaltic and Caterpillar Locomotion Patterns

A Magneto-Active Elastomer Crawler with Peristaltic and Caterpillar Locomotion Patterns

In-plane gait planning for earthworm-like metameric robots using genetic algorithm

Origami-based earthworm-like locomotion robots

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