Lightweight Highly Tunable Jamming-Based Composites

Narang, Yashraj; Aktaş, Buse; Ornellas, Sarah; Vlassak, Joost J.; Howe, Robert D.

doi:10.1089/soro.2019.0053

Cited by 43 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Jamming structures and their ability to provide different forms of variable impedance have led to many robotics applications. [ 7–19,27–51 ] Yet prior work does not provide a framework to allow engineers and designers to manage performance‐based trade‐offs when designing jamming structures for applications. In this section, we first outline the fundamental behavior of grains, layers, and fibers as observed in their leading applications in robotics.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Elements of varying geometries have been used in jamming structures, namely grains, fibers, and layers. [ 7–10 ] The different kinds of jamming structures and their ability to provide tunable stiffness and damping have been of interest to engineers, designers, and roboticists for many different applications, including but not limited to grippers, soft robot locomotion, haptic interfaces, manipulators, surgical robots, deformable furniture, wearable robots, and soft damping mechanisms [ 11–19 ] ( Figure ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Modeling Framework for Jamming Structures

Aktaş

Narang

Vasios

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

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Jamming is a structural phenomenon that provides tunable mechanical behavior. A jamming structure typically consists of a collection of elements with low effective stiffness and damping. When a pressure gradient, such as vacuum, is applied, kinematic and frictional coupling increase, resulting in dramatically altered mechanical properties. Engineers have used jamming to build devices from tunable‐stiffness grippers to tunable‐damping landing gear. This study presents a rigorous framework that systematically guides the design of jamming structures for target applications. The force‐deflection behavior of major types of jamming structures (i.e., grain, fiber, and layer) in fundamental loading conditions (e.g., tension, shear, and bending) is compared. High‐performing pairs (e.g., grains in compression, layers in shear, and bending) are identified. Parameters that go into designing, fabricating, and actuating a jamming structure (e.g., scale, material, geometry, and actuator) are described, along with their effects on functional metrics. Two key methods to expand on the design space of jamming structures are introduced: using structural design to achieve effective tunable‐impedance behavior in specific loading directions, and creating hybrid jamming structures to utilize the advantages of different types of jamming. Collectively, this study elaborates and extends the jamming design space, providing a conceptual modeling framework for jamming‐based structures.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Modeling Framework for Jamming Structures

Aktaş

Narang

Vasios

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

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“…Structures with variable mobility offer promising solutions for biomedical, robotics and aerospace applications due to their multifunctional advantage and ability to adapt themselves to their circumstances with regard to external loads [9,18,31]. Hence, many efforts have been made, during the last years, to employ different design strategies to achieve this feature in engineering systems.…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although mobility and support are mutually exclusive, it is possible to use different design strategies to develop structures that change their level of mobility. The structures with variable mobility are of particular interest to structural engineers, because of their potential to adapt to applied loads [18]. There is an increasing interest in such structures in robotics and biomedical applications [4,31].…”

Section: The Concept Of 'Variable Mobility'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies have offered solutions to develop structures with variable mobility [12]. These solutions are often based on complicated strategies, which include layer jamming [9,18], prestretched sandwiched layers of multiple materials [17] and kinematic interaction of multiple surfaces [7]. In contrast to the existing engineering solutions, Nature provides us with simple, yet efficient, solutions.…”

Section: The Concept Of 'Variable Mobility'mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spiky-joint: a bioinspired solution to combine mobility and support

2021

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Mobility and support are two structural properties that are often mutually exclusive. However, combining them could enhance the performance of mechanical components, and offer novel technical applications. Here through the implementation of a bioinspired interlocking mechanism in the design of a supportive, yet mobile, wrist splint, we tackled the conflicting combination of the two properties. We elaborated our design into a technology readiness level and, using 3D printing, directly converted it into a real-life application. In contrast to the existing splints, our bioinspired splint supports human wrist without impairing its movements. Hence, it can be used to prevent hyperextension injuries without hindering wrist function. By being interlocked at the maximum wrist extension, our splint could be an ideal wrist support for athletes, especially weightlifters. By restricting the wrist mobility, it could also be used as a support device to treat less severe medical issues, such as sprain, strain, or even for the recovery after cast removal, during which full immobilization may result in muscle atrophy. Our design strategy is purely structural; hence, it can be easily modified and implemented in other engineering applications. The simple, yet efficient, solution developed in this study offers a universal paradigm for developing engineering systems that pursuit both mobility and support. Graphic abstract

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Selectively Stiffening Garments Enabled by Cellular Composites

Kwon

Choi

Park

et al. 2022

Adv Materials Technologies

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Recent efforts on wearable robots have focused on augmenting the motor performance and/or protecting the wearer's body with lightweight structures. However, providing human‐scale force and structural stiffness usually conflicts with the wearability. Inspired by sandwich‐structured composites with high structural strengths, widely employed in both nature and man‐made structures, a mechanism of selectively stiffening garments (SSGs) utilizing anisotropic cellular cores and rubber‐laminated face sheets is proposed. While the proposed mechanism shows a high compliance allowing for conformity to the wearer's body when unjammed, it provides a significantly high force density when jammed, compared to conventional jamming methods, allowing for the ability to adjust mechanical properties based on the designs and materials. In this paper, various designs of the sandwich jamming structures for the SSGs with analytical characterizations and experimental validations are introduced. Potential applications for force and motion assistance are also demonstrated and impacted mitigation.

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Lightweight Highly Tunable Jamming-Based Composites

Cited by 43 publications

References 33 publications

A Modeling Framework for Jamming Structures

A Modeling Framework for Jamming Structures

Spiky-joint: a bioinspired solution to combine mobility and support

Selectively Stiffening Garments Enabled by Cellular Composites

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