Meshworm: A Peristaltic Soft Robot With Antagonistic Nickel Titanium Coil Actuators

This paper presents the complete development and analysis of a soft robotic platform that exhibits peristaltic locomotion. The design principle is based on the antagonistic arrangement of circular and longitudinal muscle groups of Oligochaetes. Sequential antagonistic motion is achieved in a flexible braided mesh-tube structure using a nickel titanium (NiTi) coil actuators wrapped in a spiral pattern around the circumference. An enhanced theoretical model of the NiTi coil spring describes the combination of martensite deformation and spring elasticity as a function of geometry. A numerical model of the mesh structures reveals how peristaltic actuation induces robust locomotion and details the deformation by the contraction of circumferential NiTi actuators. Several peristaltic locomotion modes are modeled, tested, and compared on the basis of speed. Utilizing additional NiTi coils placed longitudinally, steering capabilities are incorporated. Proprioceptive potentiometers sense segment contraction, which enables the development of closed-loop controllers. Several appropriate control algorithms are designed and experimentally compared based on locomotion speed and energy consumption. The entire mechanical structure is made of flexible mesh materials and can withstand significant external impact during operation. This approach allows a completely soft robotic platform by employing a flexible control unit and energy sources.

[1]  G. Chapman.  Of the Movement of Worms , 1950 .

[2]  G. Newell,et al.  The Role of the Coelomic Fluid in the Movements of Earthworms , 1950 .

[3]  Joel W. Burdick,et al.  The development of a robotic endoscope , 1995, Proceedings 1995 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Human Robot Interaction and Cooperative Robots.

[4]  C. M. Wayman,et al.  Shape-Memory Materials , 2018 .

[5]  Quillin,et al.  Kinematic scaling of locomotion by hydrostatic animals: ontogeny of peristaltic crawling by the earthworm lumbricus terrestris , 1999, The Journal of experimental biology.

[6]  Hyo Jik Lee,et al.  Evaluation of the characteristics of a shape memory alloy spring actuator , 2000 .

[7]  Donatello Cardone,et al.  Mechanical behaviour of shape memory alloys for seismic applications 1. Martensite and austenite NiTi bars subjected to torsion , 2001 .

[8]  Yong Liu,et al.  Detwinning process and its anisotropy in shape memory alloys , 2001, SPIE Micro + Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications.

[9]  Elizabeth V. Mangan,et al.  Development of a peristaltic endoscope , 2002, Proceedings 2002 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.02CH37292).

[10]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of peristaltic crawling robot using magnetic fluid on the basis of locomotion mechanism of earthworm , 2002, SPIE Micro + Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications.

[11]  Paolo Dario,et al.  A SMA actuated artificial earthworm , 2004, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004.

[12]  T. Sugie,et al.  On iterative learning control , 2004, International Conference on Informatics Research for Development of Knowledge Society Infrastructure, 2004. ICKS 2004..

[13]  Shinichi Hirai,et al.  Crawling and jumping of deformable soft robot , 2004, 2004 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37566).

[14]  Sukho Park,et al.  An earthworm-like locomotive mechanism for capsule endoscopes , 2005, 2005 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[15]  A.G. Alleyne,et al.  A survey of iterative learning control , 2006, IEEE Control Systems.

[16]  Emre Kural,et al.  96 A Survey of Iterative Learning Control Al earning-based method for high-performance tracking control , 2006 .

[17]  John A. Shaw,et al.  Thermodynamics of Shape Memory Alloy Wire: Modeling, Experiments, and Application , 2006 .

[18]  Byungkyu Kim,et al.  An earthworm-like micro robot using shape memory alloy actuator , 2006 .

[19]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Locomotion strategy for a peristaltic crawling robot in a 2-dimensional space , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[20]  Liang Jun,et al.  A changeable aerofoil actuated by shape memory alloy springs , 2008 .

[21]  Robert J. Wood,et al.  Design, fabrication and analysis of a body-caudal fin propulsion system for a microrobotic fish , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[22]  Ian D. Walker,et al.  Soft robotics: Biological inspiration, state of the art, and future research , 2008 .

[23]  Ausonio Tuissi,et al.  Response of NiTi SMA wire electrically heated , 2009 .

[24]  Robert J. Wood,et al.  Micro artificial muscle fiber using NiTi spring for soft robotics , 2009, 2009 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[25]  Robert J. Wood,et al.  Peristaltic locomotion with antagonistic actuators in soft robotics , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[26]  Roger D. Quinn,et al.  A new theory and methods for creating peristaltic motion in a robotic platform , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[27]  Xin Chen,et al.  Soft Mobile Robots with On-Board Chemical Pressure Generation , 2011, ISRR.