Encoded sewing soft textile robots

Abstract

Incorporating soft actuation with soft yet durable textiles could effectively endow the latter with active and flexible shape morphing and motion like mollusks and plants. However, creating highly programmable and customizable soft robots based on textiles faces a longstanding design and manufacturing challenge. Here, we report a methodology of encoded sewing constraints for efficiently constructing three-dimensional (3D) soft textile robots through a simple 2D sewing process. By encoding heterogeneous stretching properties into three spatial seams of the sewed 3D textile shells, nonlinear inflation of the inner bladder can be guided to follow the predefined spatial shape and actuation sequence, for example, tendril-like shape morphing, tentacle-like sequential manipulation, and bioinspired locomotion only controlled by single pressure source. Such flexible, efficient, scalable, and low-cost design and formation methodology will accelerate the development and iteration of soft robots and also open up more opportunities for safe human-robot interactions, tailored wearable devices, and health care.

Pre-programmable pneumatic actuator: leveraging mechanical anisotropy of nonwoven fabrics with an integrated tensile sensor

“…Hence, the as-proposed nonwoven fabric materials effectively address the primary challenge in soft textile robots by providing anisotropic mechanics, enabling high output forces and rapid response times not achievable with traditional pneumatic actuators at low driving forces. 34–36 It should also be noted that NFPA demonstrated numerous excellent application advantages over previously reported woven fabric or knitted fabric-based actuators, including high deformability, lightweight, and cost-effectiveness (Fig. 4c).…”

Enhancing wearability: designing wearable suit platforms for industrial workers

“…Soft wearable robots are those that utilize flexible and soft materials, such as fabric, to make them comfortable to wear (Guo et al, 2024;Sin and Cho, 2018). To develop soft and durable materials, various properties of fabrics and materials must be evaluated.…”

“…Soft wearable robots are those that utilize flexible and soft materials, such as fabric, to make them comfortable to wear (Guo et al. , 2024; Sin and Cho, 2018).…”

What Exactly Can Bionic Strategies Achieve for Flexible Sensors?

“…Combined with existing technologies, the actuation feature can also achieve customized behavior on demand. 143 The tendency to find specific conditions can also assist in the search for information. The ability of organisms to sense and track information through organs is amazing, 144,145 including wrinkles and foldable organs.…”

“…Liu et al achieved this phenomenon based on the photoresponsive characteristics of the as-prepared hydrogel, and the sensor was also used in the optical drive experiment to simulate the swimming of jellyfish. Combined with existing technologies, the actuation feature can also achieve customized behavior on demand . The tendency to find specific conditions can also assist in the search for information.…”