Kim Mijin, Yaesmin Rubaya, Seo Hyungtak, Yi Hwang
Architectural Research of Technology & Scientific Design (ARTS) Lab, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 May 1;10(5):284. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10050284.
Soft pneumatic robot-arm end-effectors can facilitate adaptive architectural fabrication and building construction. However, conventional pneumatic grippers often suffer from air leakage and tear, particularly under prolonged grasping and inflation-induced stress. To address these challenges, this study suggests an enhanced anthropomorphic gripper by integrating a pre-stressed reversible mechanism (PSRM) and a novel self-healing material (SHM) polyborosiloxane-Ecoflex™ hybrid polymer (PEHP) developed by the authors. The results demonstrate that PSRM finger grippers can hold various objects without external pressure input (12 mm displacement under a 1.2 N applied), and the SHM assists with recovery of mechanical properties upon external damage. The proposed robotic hand was evaluated through real-world construction tasks, including wall painting, floor plastering, and block stacking, showcasing its durability and functional performance. These findings contribute to promoting the cost-effective deployment of soft robotic hands in robotic construction.
柔软的气动机器人手臂末端执行器可促进适应性建筑制造和建筑施工。然而,传统的气动夹具经常存在漏气和撕裂问题,尤其是在长时间抓取和充气引起的应力作用下。为应对这些挑战,本研究提出了一种增强型拟人化夹具,它集成了一种预应力可逆机制(PSRM)和作者开发的一种新型自愈材料(SHM)聚硼硅氧烷-Ecoflex™ 混合聚合物(PEHP)。结果表明,PSRM手指夹具无需外部压力输入就能夹持各种物体(在施加1.2 N力时位移为12 mm),并且SHM有助于在外部损坏后恢复机械性能。通过实际施工任务对所提出的机器人手进行了评估,包括墙面喷漆、地面抹灰和砌块堆叠,展示了其耐用性和功能性能。这些发现有助于推动软机器人手在机器人施工中实现经济高效的应用。