用于控制软体机器人致动器的3D打印数字气动逻辑
3D-printed digital pneumatic logic for the control of soft robotic actuators.
作者信息
Conrad S, Teichmann J, Auth P, Knorr N, Ulrich K, Bellin D, Speck T, Tauber F J
机构信息
Plant Biomechanics Group (PBG) Freiburg @ Botanic Garden of the University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
出版信息
Sci Robot. 2024 Jan 31;9(86):eadh4060. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adh4060.
Soft robots are paving their way to catch up with the application range of metal-based machines and to occupy fields that are challenging for traditional machines. Pneumatic actuators play an important role in this development, allowing the construction of bioinspired motion systems. Pneumatic logic gates provide a powerful alternative for controlling pressure-activated soft robots, which are often controlled by metallic valves and electric circuits. Many existing approaches for fully compliant pneumatic control logic suffer from high manual effort and low pressure tolerance. In our work, we invented three-dimensional (3D) printable, pneumatic logic gates that perform Boolean operations and imitate electric circuits. Within 7 hours, a filament printer is able to produce a module that serves as an OR, AND, or NOT gate; the logic function is defined by the assigned input signals. The gate contains two alternately acting pneumatic valves, whose work principle is based on the interaction of pressurized chambers and a 3D-printed 1-millimeter tube inside. The gate design does not require any kind of support material for its hollow parts, which makes the modules ready to use directly after printing. Depending on the chosen material, the modules can operate on a pressure supply between 80 and more than 750 kilopascals. The capabilities of the invented gates were verified by implementing an electronics-free drink dispenser based on a pneumatic ring oscillator and a 1-bit memory. Their high compliance is demonstrated by driving a car over a fully flexible, 3D-printed robotic walker controlled by an integrated circuit.
软体机器人正在努力拓宽其应用范围,以追赶金属基机器,并进军传统机器难以涉足的领域。气动执行器在这一发展过程中发挥着重要作用,它使得仿生运动系统的构建成为可能。气动逻辑门为控制压力驱动的软体机器人提供了一种强大的替代方案,这类机器人通常由金属阀门和电路控制。许多现有的全柔顺气动控制逻辑方法都存在人工操作费力和耐压性低的问题。在我们的工作中,我们发明了可三维(3D)打印的气动逻辑门,它们能够执行布尔运算并模仿电路。在7小时内,一台丝状材料打印机就能生产出一个用作或门、与门或非门的模块;逻辑功能由所分配的输入信号定义。该门包含两个交替作用的气动阀门,其工作原理基于加压腔与内部一根3D打印的1毫米管子之间的相互作用。该门的设计对于其空心部分不需要任何支撑材料,这使得模块在打印后即可直接使用。根据所选材料的不同,这些模块可以在80至750多千帕的压力供应下运行。通过基于气动环形振荡器和1位存储器实现一个无电子元件的饮料分配器,验证了所发明逻辑门的功能。通过让汽车驶过由集成电路控制的完全柔性的3D打印机器人步行器,展示了它们的高柔顺性。