Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation
Soft robots are ideal for underwater manipulation in sampling and other servicing applications. Their unique features of compliance, adaptability, and being naturally waterproof enable robotic designs to be compact and lightweight, while achieving uncompromized dexterity and flexibility. However, th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2020.616128/full |
| _version_ | 1818620182659072000 |
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| author | Zhong Shen Yafei Zhao Hua Zhong Kailuan Tang Yishan Chen Yin Xiao Juan Yi Sicong Liu Zheng Wang Zheng Wang |
| author_facet | Zhong Shen Yafei Zhao Hua Zhong Kailuan Tang Yishan Chen Yin Xiao Juan Yi Sicong Liu Zheng Wang Zheng Wang |
| author_sort | Zhong Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soft robots are ideal for underwater manipulation in sampling and other servicing applications. Their unique features of compliance, adaptability, and being naturally waterproof enable robotic designs to be compact and lightweight, while achieving uncompromized dexterity and flexibility. However, the inherent flexibility and high nonlinearity of soft materials also results in combined complex motions, which creates both soft actuator and sensor challenges for force output, modeling, and sensory feedback, especially under highly dynamic underwater environments. To tackle these limitations, a novel Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator (SOSA) with actuation and sensing integration is proposed in this paper. Inspired by origami art, the proposed sensorized actuator enables a large force output, contraction/elongation/passive bending actuation by fluid, and hybrid motion sensing with optical waveguides. The SOSA design brings two major novelties over current designs. First, it involves a new actuation-sensing mode which enables a superior large payload output and a robust and accurate sensing performance by introducing the origami design, significantly facilitating the integration of sensing and actuating technology for wider applications. Secondly, it simplifies the fabrication process for harsh environment application by investigating the boundary features between optical waveguides and ambient water, meaning the external cladding layer of traditional sensors is unnecessary. With these merits, the proposed actuator could be applied to harsh environments for complex interaction/operation tasks. To showcase the performance of the proposed SOSA actuator, a hybrid underwater 3-DOFs manipulator has been developed. The entire workflow on concept design, fabrication, modeling, experimental validation, and application are presented in detail as reference for wider effective robot-environment applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:49:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e8110187a6544d8954ffae9470e4be5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:49:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e8110187a6544d8954ffae9470e4be52022-12-21T22:22:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Robotics and AI2296-91442021-03-01710.3389/frobt.2020.616128616128Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater ManipulationZhong Shen0Yafei Zhao1Hua Zhong2Kailuan Tang3Yishan Chen4Yin Xiao5Juan Yi6Sicong Liu7Zheng Wang8Zheng Wang9Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shen Zhen, ChinaSoft robots are ideal for underwater manipulation in sampling and other servicing applications. Their unique features of compliance, adaptability, and being naturally waterproof enable robotic designs to be compact and lightweight, while achieving uncompromized dexterity and flexibility. However, the inherent flexibility and high nonlinearity of soft materials also results in combined complex motions, which creates both soft actuator and sensor challenges for force output, modeling, and sensory feedback, especially under highly dynamic underwater environments. To tackle these limitations, a novel Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator (SOSA) with actuation and sensing integration is proposed in this paper. Inspired by origami art, the proposed sensorized actuator enables a large force output, contraction/elongation/passive bending actuation by fluid, and hybrid motion sensing with optical waveguides. The SOSA design brings two major novelties over current designs. First, it involves a new actuation-sensing mode which enables a superior large payload output and a robust and accurate sensing performance by introducing the origami design, significantly facilitating the integration of sensing and actuating technology for wider applications. Secondly, it simplifies the fabrication process for harsh environment application by investigating the boundary features between optical waveguides and ambient water, meaning the external cladding layer of traditional sensors is unnecessary. With these merits, the proposed actuator could be applied to harsh environments for complex interaction/operation tasks. To showcase the performance of the proposed SOSA actuator, a hybrid underwater 3-DOFs manipulator has been developed. The entire workflow on concept design, fabrication, modeling, experimental validation, and application are presented in detail as reference for wider effective robot-environment applications.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2020.616128/fullsoft roboticsorigamiactuatoroptical sensingunderwater manipulation |
| spellingShingle | Zhong Shen Yafei Zhao Hua Zhong Kailuan Tang Yishan Chen Yin Xiao Juan Yi Sicong Liu Zheng Wang Zheng Wang Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation Frontiers in Robotics and AI soft robotics origami actuator optical sensing underwater manipulation |
| title | Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation |
| title_full | Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation |
| title_fullStr | Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation |
| title_short | Soft Origami Optical-Sensing Actuator for Underwater Manipulation |
| title_sort | soft origami optical sensing actuator for underwater manipulation |
| topic | soft robotics origami actuator optical sensing underwater manipulation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2020.616128/full |
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