Cutting the Cord: Progress in Untethered Soft Robotics and Actuators
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MRS Advances © 2019 Materials Research Society DOI: 10.1557/adv.2019.439
Cutting the Cord: Progress in Untethered Soft Robotics and Actuators Meng Li1, Nicholas A Ostrovsky-Snider1, Metin Sitti2, Fiorenzo G Omenetto1,3,4 1
Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent System, Stuttgart, Germany 3 Department of Physics, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA 4 Department of Electrical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA 2
Abstract: In recent decades, increasing research interest has shifted from traditional rigid skeleton robotics to flexible, shape-programmable, environmentally adaptive and stimuliresponsive “soft robotics”. Within this discipline, soft-robots capable of untethered and/or remote-controlled operation are of particular interest given their utility for actuation in complex situations with larger range of mobility and higher degrees of freedom. The use of new materials and the development of advanced fabrication techniques enable better performance and expand the utility of such soft actuators, moving them towards real-world applications. This review outlines some recent advances in untethered soft robotics and actuators to illustrate the promise of these applications at the interface of material science and device engineering. Corresponding Author: Fiorenzo G Omenetto
INTRODUCTION The term “soft robotics” was initially used to describe rigid robots with flexible joints and inhomogeneous stiffness [1]. More recently, soft robotics has shifted towards soft material-based large deformation systems, becoming a topic of increasing interest and engaging a multitude of disciplines including, but not limited to, robotics, mechanical engineering, material science, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and computer science. In contrast to their rigid counterparts, soft robots and actuators can have matching mechanical properties to biological tissues and organisms, showing large continuum deformation with higher degrees of freedom in correspondence to contacts with skin, tissue, fragile objects, among others. This “soft” attribute attracts interests in both academia and industrial fields to develop robotic systems that are fully soft or integrated with conventional robotics for applications in wearable sensing devices, healthcare
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assistance, in vivo biomedicine, tools for minimally invasive surgery, artificial muscles for haptics and prosthetics, soft grippers, deformable camouflage and displays, environmental exploration and remediation, and search and rescue tools. Furthermore, by using soft materials such as elastomers, fluids, hydrogels and conjugated polymers, their cost and fabrication processes are lowered and easier compared to rigid robots, m
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