Soft Robotics最新文献_第3页

Development of a Contraction Force Control Method for Bioactuators Using a Muscle Contraction Model. 基于肌肉收缩模型的生物执行器收缩力控制方法的发展。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-11-18 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251394596

Mutsuki Hagiwara,Wataru Hijikata

{"title":"Development of a Contraction Force Control Method for Bioactuators Using a Muscle Contraction Model.","authors":"Mutsuki Hagiwara,Wataru Hijikata","doi":"10.1177/21695172251394596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251394596","url":null,"abstract":"Bioactuators consisting of cultured skeletal muscle and an artificial lattice have not only the same flexibility as soft actuators but also the same biological functions; both are glucose-driven and capable of self-growth and self-repair. These features are expected to lead to the creation of applications based on new principles and technologies, such as powered exoskeletons that self-grow in accordance with the user's muscle mass and power generation systems for implantable medical devices that can be used semi-permanently by converting glucose into electricity. For engineering applications of bioactuators, it is desirable to precisely control the contraction force. Hence, in this study, we propose a method for precise control using muscle contraction models that represent the contraction mechanism of skeletal muscles in response to electrical stimulation. First, we propose a calculation method for the stimulation voltage using an optimization algorithm that uses the sum of the squares of the differences between the reference and contraction forces derived from the muscle contraction models as the evaluation function for an arbitrary reference. In addition to the model-based control, a feedback control system was developed to reduce the error against the reference force. A bioactuator driven by extracted toad muscle was fabricated, and the performance of the proposed control method was evaluated experimentally. This method was shown to be capable of precisely controlling the muscle contraction force. In addition, feedback control can reduce errors when muscle contraction characteristics change. These results indicate that bioactuators can be controlled in the same manner as existing industrial actuators.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145545050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Real-Time Whole-Body Contact Estimation of Continuum Robots Using Multiplexed Fibers for Embodied Actuation and Sensing to Quantify Interactions. 连续体机器人的实时全身接触估计，采用多路光纤进行具身驱动和感知以量化相互作用。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-11-07 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251388808

Zecai Lin,Jingyuan Xia,Zheng Xu,Yun Zou,Cheng Zhou,Jiafan Chen,Lucas Tat-Long Tong,Shaoping Huang,Huanghua Liu,Weidong Chen,Guang-Zhong Yang,Anzhu Gao

{"title":"Real-Time Whole-Body Contact Estimation of Continuum Robots Using Multiplexed Fibers for Embodied Actuation and Sensing to Quantify Interactions.","authors":"Zecai Lin,Jingyuan Xia,Zheng Xu,Yun Zou,Cheng Zhou,Jiafan Chen,Lucas Tat-Long Tong,Shaoping Huang,Huanghua Liu,Weidong Chen,Guang-Zhong Yang,Anzhu Gao","doi":"10.1177/21695172251388808","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251388808","url":null,"abstract":"Millimeter cable-driven continuum robots exhibit shape conforming, dexterous manipulation capabilities in constrained environments. They are increasingly used for narrow space and endoluminal intervention. For delicate manipulation, quantifying the force interaction between the robot and its surrounding environment is important for both shape adjustment and avoiding damages to luminal structures. In this work, we propose a real-time, whole-body contact estimation framework for small-scale continuum robots, based on actuation fibers and model-informed neural networks. The physical relationship among external body contact, internal actuation, and shape sensing of the continuum robot is formulated based on rod theory, and body contact estimation is treated as an inverse problem given the actuation tension profile and robot shape as inputs. The contact position and force are estimated using a neural network, and a generative adversarial network-based data augmentation strategy is proposed to reduce the need for large amounts of real data from the continuum robot under external forces. In addition, an automatic data acquisition platform is developed to efficiently collect the small amount of required data. Experiments with notched continuum robots were conducted to demonstrate the general applicability and accuracy of the proposed approach. The results show that the mean estimation errors for the three-dimensional (3D) contact position and contact force magnitude are 1.7 mm (2.3%) and 8.7 mN (5.8%), respectively, with an estimation frequency of 25 Hz. It paves the way for embodied integration using multiplexed fibers for the simultaneous actuation and sensing of millimeter-scale continuum robots, enabling their safer operation in confined spaces through machine intelligence.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145462132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Selective Variable Stiffness Flexible Manipulator for Dexterous In-Hand Manipulation. 面向灵巧手操作的可变刚度柔性机械手。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-10-13 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251387189

Benzhu Guo,Zeang Zhao,Zhong Zhang,Hongshuai Lei

{"title":"Selective Variable Stiffness Flexible Manipulator for Dexterous In-Hand Manipulation.","authors":"Benzhu Guo,Zeang Zhao,Zhong Zhang,Hongshuai Lei","doi":"10.1177/21695172251387189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251387189","url":null,"abstract":"Adaptive grasping and dexterous manipulation of random objects in unstructured environments have broad practical significance. Compared with traditional rigid manipulators, flexible manipulators possess better adaptability and safety, and thus are widely used in industrial, agricultural, and medical fields. However, since flexible manipulators are typically made of soft materials, their stability and dexterity are always limited. To make up for the deficiencies of existing flexible manipulators, this research proposes a variable stiffness flexible element driven by rope and evaluates its performance by finite element simulation and experimental methods. Based on the Fin Ray Effect, the flexible element is then assembled into a novel adaptive flexible manipulator, which can selectively regulate its local stiffness by driving a set of ropes. The flexible manipulator not only has multiple contact modes but also has good self-adaptability when interacting with the external environment. We also establish an integrated experimental platform and control system for in-hand manipulation and conduct quantitative in-hand manipulation experiments to obtain the mapping relationship between the driving input and the displacement of manipulated objects. Finally, we apply the flexible manipulator to daily charging tasks where the charging head can be rotated on demand. The manipulator has a broad application potential in real-world scenarios such as smart homes. In addition, the selective stiffness regulation methods proposed in this study provide a new approach to enhancing the multi-functionality of soft robotic structures.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Far-Field Magnetic Sensing on Soft Origami Actuator for Spatial Multidimensional Movement and Force Perception. 软折纸驱动器空间多维运动与力感知远场磁传感。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-10-07 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251379615

Juan Yi,Jiahao Xu,Yuxuan Deng,Yifan Xuan,Chaoyi Huang,Zhonggui Fang,Benkang Lou,Kehan Zou,Yinyin Su,Qinlin Tan,Rongwei Wen,Sicong Liu,Zheng Wang

{"title":"Far-Field Magnetic Sensing on Soft Origami Actuator for Spatial Multidimensional Movement and Force Perception.","authors":"Juan Yi,Jiahao Xu,Yuxuan Deng,Yifan Xuan,Chaoyi Huang,Zhonggui Fang,Benkang Lou,Kehan Zou,Yinyin Su,Qinlin Tan,Rongwei Wen,Sicong Liu,Zheng Wang","doi":"10.1177/21695172251379615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251379615","url":null,"abstract":"Soft robots exhibit exceptional flexibility and adaptability, enabling them to dynamically adjust their body shapes in unstructured environments for a wide range of applications. This motivates an extensive investigation of soft sensing techniques to accommodate such versatility. Magnetic sensing mechanisms present promising adaptability for soft robots due to their ease of integration and extensive detection range features. In this study, we explore the potential of utilizing far-field magnetic sensing in combination with a soft actuator model-based approach for multimodal perception. We introduce a Soft Farfield Magnetic Origami design, which incorporates a concise Hall sensory array into soft pneumatic origami actuators. The Hall sensory array is utilized to track the unique distal position of the soft actuator. This facilitates the further retrieval of spatial multidimensional movements, including linear and omnidirectional bending motions, as well as interactive forces. This multimodal sensing capability is supported by the modeled relationships between the desired sensing modalities and the measurable set of soft origami actuators, in terms of distal position and pressure. Our proposed approach showcases accurate spatial kinematic perception with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.36 mm in length, 0.02 rad in angle, and an interactive force variation detection with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.89 N. This comprehensive methodology from concept, modeling, design, and fabrication, to validation, facilitates position feedback control and interactive force tuning in soft robotic systems.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145240904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Enabling Tunable Stiffness, Adhesive Grasping, and Interaction-Driven Reconfiguration: A Shape-Memory-Polymer-Enhanced Fin-Ray Gripper. 实现可调刚度，粘合剂抓取和相互作用驱动的重新配置：形状记忆聚合物增强鳍-射线夹持器。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-10-06 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251381461

Haotian Guo,Hao Wu,Yanzhe Wang,Yaoting Xue,Tuck-Whye Wong,Tiefeng Li,Huixu Dong

{"title":"Enabling Tunable Stiffness, Adhesive Grasping, and Interaction-Driven Reconfiguration: A Shape-Memory-Polymer-Enhanced Fin-Ray Gripper.","authors":"Haotian Guo,Hao Wu,Yanzhe Wang,Yaoting Xue,Tuck-Whye Wong,Tiefeng Li,Huixu Dong","doi":"10.1177/21695172251381461","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251381461","url":null,"abstract":"Soft grippers offer a compelling solution for handling tasks in diverse environments due to their inherent safety and adaptability. However, enhancing their versatility, particularly in load capacity and grasping range, while minimizing actuation, remains a persistent challenge. To address this, we propose a soft gripper with reconfigurable morphology, combining structure (Fin Ray Effect [FRE] gripper), and intelligent material (shape memory polymers [SMPs]) as a union, to achieve tunable stiffness, adhesive grasping, and interaction-driven reconfiguration. First, SMPs are integrated into both the front and back beams of the FRE fingers, enabling adhesion grasping and grasping force modulation through phase transition, respectively. Additionally, by leveraging its shape-locking capabilities through intentional environmental interactions, the gripper achieves versatile reconfiguration with a single motor. Besides, inspired by humans interacting with tools and grasping in constrained spaces, we demonstrate three extra grasping modes, including precision pinching, hooking, and corner grasping. Experimental results validate its ability to handle diverse objects, from thin sheets and small nuts to items up to 50 times its own weight. This passive reconfigurable design allows for effective handling of disparate surfaces and contours, guaranteeing safe grasping in constrained spaces. This work opens new possibilities for soft robotic hands, balancing system simplicity with versatility for a wider range of real-world applications.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A Soft Amphibious Turtle Robot with Flexibility and Omnidirectional Motion Ability Actuated by Multiple Bionic Muscles. 一种由多块仿生肌肉驱动的具有柔性和全方位运动能力的两栖乌龟机器人。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-09-30 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251383927

Yiwei Zhang,Ruiqian Wang,Lianchao Yang,Hengshen Qin,Qi Zhang,Ning Li,Ying Zhao,Lianqing Liu,Chuang Zhang

{"title":"A Soft Amphibious Turtle Robot with Flexibility and Omnidirectional Motion Ability Actuated by Multiple Bionic Muscles.","authors":"Yiwei Zhang,Ruiqian Wang,Lianchao Yang,Hengshen Qin,Qi Zhang,Ning Li,Ying Zhao,Lianqing Liu,Chuang Zhang","doi":"10.1177/21695172251383927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251383927","url":null,"abstract":"Amphibious robots have great application potential in many unstructured task scenarios, such as environmental monitoring, resource exploration, and maritime rescue, due to their cross-medium movement capabilities and adaptability to multiple environments. As a typical representative of amphibians, sea turtles can not only crawl on land but also have excellent underwater movement ability, which is an important source of inspiration for amphibious bionic robots. However, due to a lack of high-performance soft actuators, suitable bionic structure designs, and effective control methods, most of the current bionic turtle robots actuated by smart materials can only demonstrate movement in a single medium (e.g., swimming in water or crawling on land). Here, an amphibious turtle robot actuated by bionic muscles that can achieve effective movements in two media was designed. To enhance the amphibious ability of the turtle robot, a cylindrical dielectric elastomer actuator that can adapt to a variety of environments is designed with a maximum bidirectional deformation (±65°) and a high output force (∼80 mN). By optimizing the motion trajectory of the fins and programming the phase control of multiple bionic muscles, the robot's maximum swimming speed reaches 0.4 BL/s. In addition, the robot can realize different motion modes, such as forward, backward, lateral movement, turning, and crawling. Finally, the high mobility and environmental adaptability of the turtle robot are demonstrated in an L-shaped swimming passage and in two mediums (transition from land to water). This work not only improves the motion ability of bionic amphibious robots but is also useful for the motion control of other bionic robots with multiple actuators.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145194841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Fin-A-Rays: Expanding Soft Gripper Compliance via Discrete Arrays of Flexible Structures. 鳍- a -射线：通过离散阵列柔性结构扩展软夹持器顺应性。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-09-24 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251379600

Loong Yi Lee,Silvia Terrile,Saekwang Nam,Tianhao Liang,Nathan Lepora,Jonathan Rossiter

{"title":"Fin-A-Rays: Expanding Soft Gripper Compliance via Discrete Arrays of Flexible Structures.","authors":"Loong Yi Lee,Silvia Terrile,Saekwang Nam,Tianhao Liang,Nathan Lepora,Jonathan Rossiter","doi":"10.1177/21695172251379600","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251379600","url":null,"abstract":"Typical soft robot grippers use a small number of \"fingers,\" often inspired by human hands, limiting adaptability to objects. One way to increase the number of digits in the end effector is through arrays of independent flexible structures, quantizing the gripper and increasing compliance. This work investigates what happens when we \"slice\" a Fin Ray soft gripper into an array of discrete fingers, called Fin-A-Rays. Fin-A-Rays are modular gripper systems that can be readily integrated into an off-the-shelf two-fingered parallel gripper. Here, between one and 24 Fin Ray fingers of width 2.5 mm to 60 mm are arranged side-by-side as a gripper. An analysis of the effects of finger width on gripper stiffness and object contact is presented via finite element analysis. The design space of Fin-A-Rays was studied via experiments and simulation, and a set of performance metrics for Fin-A-Rays was defined to understand the effects of \"slicing\" on grasping a set of objects. A design algorithm is also introduced to prearrange a Fin-A-Ray configuration based on an image of the object. The discretized compliance across an array of fingers in a Fin-A-Ray enables several novel behaviors during grasping, including finger splay and twisting. Results show that a balance between finger widths is required when slicing Fin-A-Rays, where algorithmically designed Fin-A-Rays showed higher average performance metrics than uniform configurations. Fin-A-Rays showed new capabilities, including multiobject grasping and in-hand manipulation. The passive morphological adaptability of Fin-A-Rays simplifies grasp planning, enabling delicate grasps for picking and packing complex shapes.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145133926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Variable Stiffness Woven Soft Active Textiles and Robots Using Thin McKibben Muscle. 可变刚度编织软活动纺织品和使用薄麦基本肌的机器人。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251379609

Haili Li,Bin Li,Pan Zhou,Zhaoyi Lin,Xingzhi Li,Jiantao Yao

{"title":"Variable Stiffness Woven Soft Active Textiles and Robots Using Thin McKibben Muscle.","authors":"Haili Li,Bin Li,Pan Zhou,Zhaoyi Lin,Xingzhi Li,Jiantao Yao","doi":"10.1177/21695172251379609","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251379609","url":null,"abstract":"Active woven structures are extensively utilized in wearable and soft robotics due to their exceptional body compliance, lightweight nature, long-term stability, and programmable architectures. Although existing active woven structures have been successfully applied to actuators and sensors, the fabrication of intricate variable stiffness soft robots directly through weaving methods has consistently posed challenges. To address this issue, we draw inspiration from the Chinese knot technique and employ thin McKibben muscles to weave a variety of variable stiffness textiles, including a flexible spine, flexible skin, and a bistable structure, as well as innovative soft robots such as a soft crawling robot, a soft enclosed gripper, and a continuum module. Experimental results demonstrate that the variable stiffness range of the developed variable stiffness textiles exceeds 5.4 times that of the initial stiffness. Furthermore, we also experimentally demonstrate that the woven soft crawling robot (weighing 171 g) can achieve omnidirectional movement on an ferromagnetic surface at a maximum speed of 666.7 mm/min; the woven continuum module (weighing 49 g) can reduce the impact of external forces on the motion angle by over 65% by activating the high stiffness mode; the soft enclosed gripper (weighing 175 g) can lift objects weighing up to 14.7 kg, and the variable stiffness function can enhance its multi-directional bearing capacity by ∼3.3 times. This study offers various new configurations and ideas for the advancement of complex variable stiffness soft robots based on weaving technology.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145083523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Bioinspired Vacuum Generation via Pressure-to-Vacuum Conversion for Manipulating all Phases of Matter. 生物启发真空产生通过压力到真空转换操纵物质的所有阶段。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-09-10 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251362668

Ragesh Chellattoan,Alessio Mondini,Barbara Mazzolai

{"title":"Bioinspired Vacuum Generation via Pressure-to-Vacuum Conversion for Manipulating all Phases of Matter.","authors":"Ragesh Chellattoan,Alessio Mondini,Barbara Mazzolai","doi":"10.1177/21695172251362668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251362668","url":null,"abstract":"Animal diaphragm-lung systems are soft organs that generate a controllable vacuum. Elephants, as rare land animals, can manipulate all three states of matter using their lung-generated vacuum. In soft robotics, however, current vacuum generation relies on rigid components, and no single soft device effectively handles all states of matter. Traditional soft pumps and grippers are limited in scope: soft pumps provide continuous liquid flow but cannot directly manipulate solids, while grippers manage solids but are ineffective with liquids and gases. Inspired by lung functionality, we present a soft pressure-to-vacuum converter that provides precise control over the suction, holding, and release of solids, liquids, and gases through a single entry and exit point based on negative pressure. Through the selection of appropriate material properties and design variations, our soft device achieves vacuum levels up to -18 kPa, enabling intermittent control and sequential handling of various media without the need for additional components. We demonstrate diverse applications of our soft device, including artificial lungs, liquid blending, vacuum gripping, coffee preparation, and liquid-gas vaporization. This bioinspired device not only provides a safe and adaptable solution for vacuum generation but also addresses a critical gap in soft robotics, offering a multifunctional system capable of manipulating all states of matter.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145031966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Soft Robotics for Space Applications: Cryogenic Performance of Modular Metallic Cable Structures. 空间应用软体机器人：模组金属缆索结构的低温性能。

IF 7.9 2区计算机科学

Soft Robotics Pub Date : 2025-09-10 DOI: 10.1177/21695172251364758

William Foster-Hall,David J Harvey,Ling Yin,Rini Akmeliawati

{"title":"Soft Robotics for Space Applications: Cryogenic Performance of Modular Metallic Cable Structures.","authors":"William Foster-Hall,David J Harvey,Ling Yin,Rini Akmeliawati","doi":"10.1177/21695172251364758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21695172251364758","url":null,"abstract":"Soft robotic systems are promising for diverse space applications due to their embedded compliance, promising locomotion methods, and efficient use of mass and volume. Space environments are harsher and more varied than those on Earth; extreme temperature, pressure, and radiation may impact the performance and robustness of soft robots. Cryogenic temperatures on celestial bodies such as the Moon or Europa pose significant challenges to the flexibility and actuation performance of conventional soft systems. We present a soft robotic design methodology using novel metallic-based soft robotic structures specifically tailored to extreme space environments. Structures are presented as tunable, reconfigurable modules for soft systems. Module behavior under compression is characterized while submerged in liquid nitrogen, and structural changes are investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The structures retained flexibility at -196 °C, with a limited 5% increase in peak stiffness over 100 cycles while maintaining a full range of motion. A soft robotic limb was constructed from these modules and demonstrated successful 2D manipulation and grasping of objects at -196 °C. SEM analysis showed no physical signs of microfracture or deformation after cryogenic cycling, indicating changes to the underlying grain structure consistent with properties observed in cold-working stainless steels at cryogenic temperatures in the literature. Our findings demonstrate that metallic soft robotic structures maintain flexibility and exhibit promising performance in cryogenic, analogue space environments. This metal-based cable structure design approach provides a foundation for the development of functional, robust, and reconfigurable soft robots capable of operating in extreme space environments.","PeriodicalId":48685,"journal":{"name":"Soft Robotics","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145031965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0