Work towards MSc degree under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Yizhar Or and Assoc. Prof. Amir Gat
When: 19.5.2021 at 14:00
Where: Zoom
Abstract: Soft robotics is an emerging field of research greatly inspired by nature, which focuses on analysis and design of robots with flexible structure that can deform and change shape and dimensions continuously. Soft robots are expected to be especially useful in in man-machine interfaces, locomotion on different terrains and through narrow spaces, robotic minimally-invasive surgery and more. This work helps to simplify the hardware needed for controlling such robots. We focus on fluid-driven elastic actuators. In those actuators the actuation is achieved by controlling the pressure or flow rate at the fluid-inlets of the structure. For complicated actuation (e.g. three-dimensional movement or locomotion) usually several separate control inlets are required. In this work, we are minimizing the amount of controlling inlets by utilizing dynamic effects of viscous flow and by using multi-stable elastic structures. Experiments were conducted in order to study the behavior of Frusta – a multi-stable structures also known as “bending straw”. This structure has many different equilibrium states. By controlling the pressure of an entrapped fluid in the frusta, we show that it is possible to switch between different states in desired order. Connecting the flow between several different frusta and using a high-viscosity liquid allowed us to present a structure where three-dimensional actuation is achieved while controlling only one inlet pressure. We also present a mathematical model and numerical simulations. Several experimental systems were built in order to verify the model and to demonstrate controlled actuation between several states.
You can see the seminar Here