Flapping at resonance: Realization of an electroactive elastic thorax

Cao, Chongjing; Burgess, SC; Conn, Andrew T.

doi:10.1109/robosoft.2018.8404940

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…1 Hz). Figure 3 (c) shows the resonant amplitude and the resonant frequency as a function of h. As h increases, the resonant amplitude reduces while the resonant frequency increases, which is due to the increasing membrane stiffness and has also been demonstrated in our previous study [16]. For vibrational crawling locomotion, increasing both oscillation amplitude and frequency can increase the velocity.…”

Section: B Quasi-static and Dynamic Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…A double cone DEA configuration is adopted in this work for its simple structure, ease of fabrication and good stroke/force output [14] [15] [16]. This DEA design consists of two dielectric elastomer membranes bonded to rigid circular frames with an inner radius, b.…”

Section: A Dea Design Overview and Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two membranes were separated using spacers and were oriented such that the opposite poles of the two magnets face each other on the two membranes, the attraction forces thereby coupling the two membranes in the centre. In our previous work, we have shown that the further the two membranes are separated, the stiffer the DEA becomes [16]. To find the optimal h value for this crawling robot application, four values were tested: h = 10, 15, 20 and 25 mm.…”

Section: A Dea Design Overview and Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Reconfigurable Crawling Robot Driven by Electroactive Artificial Muscle

Cao

Diteesawat

Rossiter

et al. 2019

2019 2nd IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)

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General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/userguides/explore-bristol-research/ebr-terms/ Abstract -In nature, inchworms can move freely on uneven terrains where conventional wheeled or tracked robots cannot. Emerging soft actuation technologies such as dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) offer a new approach for inchworminspired robot designs thanks to their large actuation strain and inherent compliance. In this work, we present a reconfigurable inchworm-inspired crawling robot driven by DEAs that demonstrates two different crawling modes: vibrational crawling and two-anchor crawling. This modular design combines the advantages of fast speed through the vibrational crawling motion and payload transportation capability of the two-anchor crawling motion. A single vibrating module shows a fast locomotion speed of 0.9 body length / second. When two of the robot modules are configured into a two-anchor crawling mode, this new configuration can carry a payload of up to 35% its body weight at a slower speed.

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Section: B Quasi-static and Dynamic Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: A Dea Design Overview and Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Dea Design Overview and Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Reconfigurable Crawling Robot Driven by Electroactive Artificial Muscle

Cao

Diteesawat

Rossiter

et al. 2019

2019 2nd IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)

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“…Among all the DEA configurations, the conical configuration has been widely adopted in soft actuation applications for its capability of antagonistic actuation [16]; multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) operation [17]; crawling locomotion [11]; and flapping robots [18]. A conical DEA consists of a piece of elastomer membrane bonded to a rigid circular ring with a disk in the centre.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance Optimization of a Conical Dielectric Elastomer Actuator

Cao

Conn

2018

Actuators

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Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are known as 'artificial muscles' due to their large actuation strain, high energy density and self-sensing capability. The conical configuration has been widely adopted in DEA applications such as bio-inspired locomotion and micropumps for its good compactness, ease for fabrication and large actuation stroke. However, the conical protrusion of the DEA membrane is characterized by inhomogeneous stresses, which complicate their design. In this work, we present an analytical model-based optimization for conical DEAs with the three biasing elements: (I) linear compression spring; (II) biasing mass; and (III) antagonistic double-cone DEA. The optimization is to find the maximum stroke and work output of a conical DEA by tuning its geometry (inner disk to outer frame radius ratio a/b) and pre-stretch ratio. The results show that (a) for all three cases, stroke and work output are maximum for a pre-stretch ratio of 1 × 1 for the Parker silicone elastomer, which suggests the stretch caused by out-of-plane deformation is sufficient for this specific elastomer. (b) Stroke maximization is obtained for a lower a/b ratio while a larger a/b ratio is required to maximize work output, but the optimal a/b ratio is less than 0.3 in all three cases. (c) The double-cone configuration has the largest stroke while single cone with a biasing mass has the highest work output.

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“…For example, in the case of pneumatic networks [23], a punctured shell would have to be repaired using adhesive, which affects the performance of the system due to altering of material properties. Another example is the case of robots using dielectric elastomers [24], where the entire membrane has to be replaced. In contrast, the strip-based pellicle surface presented here is easy to repair, does not require additional material and does not require a complete replacement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%