Controlling and Simulating Soft Robotic Systems: Insights from a Thermodynamic Perspective

Abstract Soft robots are machines, and like all machines their function is to convert energy from one form into another to perform tasks. One key figure of merit for machines is their efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of task-oriented work out to total energy in. All soft robots convert stored energy (from e.g., batteries, pressurized gas, chemicals) into task-oriented work (picking up objects, locomoting, jumping). These systems are complex hybrids of chemical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electrical components. This complexity makes it difficult to analyze and measure their total efficiency and to identify the sources of energy loss between chemical, electrical, and mechanical domains. As the field of soft robotics matures, the design-flow process will shift from one in which building is central to one in which simulation takes precedence. That is, there is a shift from an empirical experimental methodology toward a well-characterized engineering workflow. At this point, questions such ...