Published in Soft robotics
Electrostatic adhesion, as a promising actuation technique for soft robotics, severely suffers from the failure caused by the unpredictable electrical breakdown. This study proposes a novel self-clearing mechanism for electrostatic actuators, particularly for electrostatic adhesion. By simply employing an enough thin conductive layer (e.g.,
Published in Soft robotics
We present a compression sensor based on a strain-sensitive carbon black-silicone composite cast on top of a printed circuit board with interdigitated electrodes. This results in a very sensitive and soft capacitive compression sensor not requiring a structured dielectric or compliant electrodes. We show how the optimal loading of carbon black to m...
Published in Soft robotics
The majority of sprawling-posture quadrupedal vertebrates, such as geckos and lizards, adopt a cyclical lateral swing pattern of their trunk that is coordinated with limb movements to provide extraordinary flexibility and mobility. Inspired by the gecko's locomotory gait and posture, a gecko-like robot with a flexible spine driven by shape memory a...
Published in Soft robotics
Soft robots have received much attention due to their impressive capabilities including high flexibility and inherent safety features for humans or unstructured environments compared with hard-bodied robots. Soft actuators are the crucial components of soft robotic systems. Soft robots require dexterous soft actuators to provide the desired deforma...
Published in Soft robotics
Muscle driving is a critical actuation mode of soft or flexible robots and plays a key role in the motion of most animals. Although the system development of soft robots has been extensively investigated, the general kinematic modeling of soft bodies and the design methods used for muscle-driven soft robots (MDSRs) are inadequate. With a focus on h...
Published in Soft robotics
In this study, we present a method to construct meter-scale deformable structures for underwater robotic applications by discretely assembling mechanical metamaterials. We address the challenge of scaling up nature-like deformable structures while remaining structurally efficient by combining rigid and compliant facets to form custom unit cells tha...
Published in Soft robotics
It is still challenging to achieve agility and trajectory control for untethered soft robots on an insect scale given their low mechanical impedance and compact structures. In this study, fast translational movements and swift turning motions are demonstrated on a power autonomous soft robot with a piezoelectric-thin-film-actuated body and electros...
Published in Soft robotics
Crawling animals with bendable soft bodies use the friction anisotropy of their asymmetric body structures to traverse various substrates efficiently. Although the effect of friction anisotropy has been investigated and applied to robot locomotion, the dynamic interactions between soft body bending at different frequencies (low and high), soft asym...
Published in Soft robotics
We present a multi-material three-dimensional-printed snakeskin with orthotropic friction anisotropy, which permits undulatory slithering of a soft snake robot on rough surfaces. Such a snakeskin is composed of a soft skin base and embedded rigid scales attached to the robot's ventral surface. The bioinspired designs of scale shapes and arrangement...
Published in Soft robotics
Inchworm-inspired bionic soft crawling robot (SCR) composed of soft materials possesses preeminent active compliant deformation ability and has obvious advantages over traditional hard robots when moving in a confined space, which is up-and-coming candidate in robotic community. Nevertheless, there are rare investigations on dynamic modeling proble...
