Wang Shuyu, Zhen Haiqian, Duan Shuaiyang, Sha Xiaopeng
College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819, People's Republic of China.
Hebei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Precision Optical Sensing and Measurement Technology, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004, People's Republic of China.
Bioinspir Biomim. 2024 Dec 27;20(1). doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad9f02.
The field of pneumatic soft robotics is on the rise. However, most pneumatic soft robots still heavily rely on rigid valves and conventional electronics for control, which detracts from their natural flexibility and adaptability. Efforts have focused on substituting electronic controllers with pneumatic counterparts to address this limitation. Despite significant progress, contemporary soft control systems still face considerable challenges, as they predominantly depend on pre-programmed commands instead of real-time sensory feedback. To confront these challenges, we propose an electronic-free soft actuator system capable of achieving basic sensorimotor behaviors. The soft actuator employs a fluidic strain sensor to obtain proprioception, detecting changes in air impedance resulting from stretching and compression. Integration of this sensor with a pneumatic valve enables the soft actuator possessing basic sensing and control capabilities. Drawing inspiration from the somatosensory and neuromuscular systems found in biological organisms, we implement both open-loop and closed-loop motion modes using different connection configurations. They facilitate cyclic movement and sensory feedback-regulated motion control using 'material intelligence'. We envisage that this system has the potential to expand to accommodate multiple limbs, thereby pioneering the development of fully fluidic soft robots.
气动软体机器人领域正在兴起。然而，大多数气动软体机器人在控制方面仍严重依赖刚性阀门和传统电子设备，这有损于它们天生的灵活性和适应性。人们致力于用气动部件取代电子控制器来解决这一局限性。尽管取得了重大进展，但当代软体控制系统仍面临相当大的挑战，因为它们主要依赖预编程指令而非实时传感反馈。为应对这些挑战，我们提出了一种能够实现基本传感运动行为的无电子软体致动器系统。该软体致动器采用流体应变传感器来获取本体感觉，检测拉伸和压缩引起的空气阻抗变化。将该传感器与气动阀集成，使软体致动器具备基本的传感和控制能力。从生物有机体中的体感和神经肌肉系统获得灵感，我们使用不同的连接配置实现了开环和闭环运动模式。它们利用“材料智能”促进循环运动和传感反馈调节的运动控制。我们设想该系统有潜力扩展以容纳多个肢体，从而开创全流体软体机器人的发展。
