According to an article by Rob.M. (2020), MIT researchers have found a way to program soft robotic arm to understand its structure in 3D space, using "motion and position data from its own "sensorized skin".
These soft robots are built from highly flexible materials, alike to "those found in living organisms", are supported as "safer, and more adaptable, resilient and bioinspired alternatives to traditional rigid robots". Traditional sensors reduce a soft robot functionality and also complicate its manufacturing process.
The researchers narrate it as a system of soft sensors that wrap over the robot's body, that feedback to the internal AI to provide the robot "awareness of motion and position of its body"
The soft robot's materials have "piezoresistive" properties, this mean when its original shape undergoes any physical changes, its electrical resistance changes with it. The material shape is "inspired by kirigami", with a variations of patterns etched on the rectangular silicone sheets, this changes the elastic of the material.
The article mention, their future goal is to advance artificial limbs, to be skillful to grip and operate objects in the environment, and also to incorporate body sensors in robotics.
References:
Rob.M. (2020). Soft robotic arm uses flexible sensors to understand its position. Retrieved from https://www.controleng.com/articles/soft-robotic-arm-uses-flexible-sensors-to-understand-its-position/
Hey Jin Yao,
ReplyDeleteWhere is draft #2 of your summary_analysis paper? For that matter, where is draft #1? I can't help if you don't post.