Center for X-Mechanics, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
Soft Robot. 2021 Jun;8(3):310-318. doi: 10.1089/soro.2019.0174. Epub 2020 Jul 10.
Possessing the attributes of high adaptability and low cost, soft robotic individuals can further coordinate and form into a swarming system, enhancing the performances as well as functions in practical applications. However, the formation control of soft robotic swarm remains challenging mainly due to the limitation in relatively low precision and slow response of the soft actuators. In this work, a soft robotic fish swarm system with global vision positioning was studied. The soft robotic fish used in the project is driven by a hybrid power-control system, in which the soft dielectric elastomers and the rigid electrical servo provide forward propulsion and controllable steering function, respectively. Results show that soft robotic fish swarm can quickly shift their formations, mimicking three typical swarming behaviors of natural creatures: highly parallel group, encircling, and torus. The system design and controlling principles of the soft robotic fish swarm may guide the future research of soft robots and robotic swarms, specifically for underwater applications.
具有高适应性和低成本属性的软体机器人个体可以进一步协调并形成群体系统，从而提高实际应用中的性能和功能。然而，软体机器人群体的形成控制仍然具有挑战性，主要是由于软体执行器的相对较低精度和较慢响应的限制。在这项工作中，研究了具有全局视觉定位的软体机器人鱼群系统。该项目中使用的软体机器人鱼由混合功率控制系统驱动，其中软介电弹性体和刚性电伺服分别提供前进推进和可控转向功能。结果表明，软体机器人鱼群可以快速改变它们的队形，模仿三种典型的自然生物的群体行为：高度平行的群体、包围和环。软体机器人鱼群的系统设计和控制原理可以为未来的软体机器人和机器人群体研究提供指导，特别是在水下应用中。
