Optimal Design of a Soft Robotic Gripper for Grasping Unknown Objects

Liu, Chih‐Hsing; Chen, Ta Lun; Chiu, Chen; Hsu, Mao Cheng; Chen, Yang; Pai, Tzu Yang; Peng, Wei Geng; Chiang, Yen Pin

doi:10.1089/soro.2017.0121

Cited by 87 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Investigators have explored the use of robots with soft fingers (Arimoto et al, 2000; Li and Kao, 2001; Or et al, 2016). A recent study used a topology optimization approach and three-dimensional printing to create a two-‘finger’ soft gripper that could handle a variety of fragile objects of differing sizes (Liu et al, 2018). Taking inspiration from invertebrates, other researchers created a robot that could locomote and grasp underwater, whose body design and function were inspired by the octopus (Cianchetti et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft-surface grasping: radular opening in Aplysia californica

Kehl

et al. 2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Grasping soft, irregular material is challenging both for animals and robots. The feeding systems of many animals have adapted to this challenge. In particular, the feeding system of the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, a generalist herbivore, allows it to grasp and ingest seaweeds of varying shape, texture and toughness. On the surface of the grasper of A. californica is a structure known as the radula, a thin flexible cartilaginous sheet with fine teeth. Previous in vitro studies suggested that intrinsic muscles, I7, are responsible for opening the radula. Lesioning I7 in vivo does not prevent animals from grasping and ingesting food. New in vitro studies demonstrate that a set of fine muscle fibers on the ventral surface of the radula – the sub-radular fibers (SRFs) – mediate opening movements even if the I7 muscles are absent. Both in vitro and in vivo lesions demonstrate that removing the SRFs leads to profound deficits in radular opening, and significantly reduces feeding efficiency. A theoretical biomechanical analysis of the actions of the SRFs suggests that they induce the radular surface to open around a central crease in the radular surface and to arch the radular surface, allowing it to softly conform to irregular material. A three-dimensional model of the radular surface, based on in vivo observations and magnetic resonance imaging of intact animals, provides support for the biomechanical analysis. These results suggest how a soft grasper can work during feeding, and suggest novel designs for artificial soft graspers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft-surface grasping: radular opening in Aplysia californica

Kehl

et al. 2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…For rest shape or material distribution optimization, topology optimization has seen widespread use [31][32][33][34][35][36]. We can interpret traditional topology optimization as an application of differentiable simulation.…”

Section: Alternative Optimization Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

2021

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Purpose of Review We discuss the use of differentiable simulation for computational problems in soft robotics. This includes characterizing the mechanical behavior of soft robots, optimally controlling embedded soft actuators or active materials, and estimating the robot's state from readings of embedded sensors. Moreover, we discuss how design optimization can help to optimally place soft actuators and sensors. Recent Findings We expatiate on the adoption of simulation and optimization tools in the process of designing and controlling soft robots. We include a discussion of rigid-flexible systems and the use of differentiable simulation in combination with machine learning. Summary We review the state of the art in the computational modeling of soft robots and provide a summary of the required mathematical tools. We also review several open questions where computation could help to move the field forward, and discuss the role of differentiable simulation in managing the ever-growing design complexity of next-generation soft robots. Keywords Differentiable simulation • Computational design and control • State estimation • Sensor and actuator design This article is part of the Topical Collection on Soft Robotics

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“…Relatedly, fitting the manipulator with a capable gripper would improve performance. A variety of suitable soft grippers which could be integrated with a continuum manipulator have been described in the literature [27,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Preliminary Testing of a Continuum Assistive Robotic Manipulator

et al. 2019

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Background: The application of continuum manipulators as assistive robots is discussed and tested through the use of Bendy ARM, a simple manually teleoperated tendon driven continuum manipulator prototype. Methods: Two rounds of user testing were performed to evaluate the potential of this arm to aid people living with disabilities in completing activities of daily living. Results: In the first round of user testing, 14 able-bodied subjects successfully completed the prescribed task (pick-and-place) using multiple control schemes after being given a brief introduction and one minute of practice with each scheme. In the second round of user testing, subjects ( n = 3 ) demonstrated between 29.5 and 48.9 percent improvement in completion time across twelve trials of a peg-in-hole task, and between 8.4 and 33.8 percent improvement across six trials of a task involving opening and closing a drawer. Conclusion: Based on these results, it is posited that continuum manipulators merit further consideration as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to existing commercially available assistive robotic manipulators.

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Optimal Design of a Soft Robotic Gripper for Grasping Unknown Objects

Cited by 87 publications

References 48 publications

Soft-surface grasping: radular opening in Aplysia californica

Soft-surface grasping: radular opening in Aplysia californica

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

Design and Preliminary Testing of a Continuum Assistive Robotic Manipulator

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