Soft robots allow for almost arbitrary continuous deformation by leveraging the nonlinear, large deformation of soft materials. However, this flexibility of possible motions comes often at the price of restricting a robot for a particular application. Efforts to create modular robots have emerged in recent years, but gaps remain. Here we design four different kinds of modular soft actuators, for bending, linear expansion, bilinear expansion, torsion, such that they all occupy the same 3×3×3in3volume and can be connected to each other to form arbitrary 3D assemblies by coupling to each other mechanically, pneumatically, and electronically. The actuators can be mechanically connected through magnets. Rather than connecting each actuator independently to a pneumatic line, coupling between adjacent actuators allows for a single pressure and vacuum line to run through an assembly, each actuator has its own controller and can be actuated independently by operating two valves which connect the internal chamber of each actuator to the central pressure and vacuum lines. All actuators are connected to the same central controller analogously to the pneumatic coupling. To optimize the designs and assemblies, finite element simulations were used to iterate designs before any fabrication took place. We showcase the modularity of our actuators in three applications: a walking robot, a claw actuator, and a balance plate.<div><br></div><div>Buckling is typically associated with something that occurs in hard materials and is thought of as undesirable, but with soft robotics, buckling can be leveraged to accomplish useful tasks. Buckling experiments involving 1D and 2D buckling as well as applications for the buckling of linear actuators are shown. Buckling patterns in 1D are modified by changing the number of actuators as well as the angles of the boundary condition. By changing the length of the actuator assembly, different buckling modes are observed. By modifying the angle of the fixed ends, different buckling patterns are forced as well. With this knowledge, several applications are demonstrated. A parallel robot is demonstrated that can cause rotation in either direction by modifying the angle at an end to force it to buckle in a certain way. Another application that is demonstrated is the ability to change the overall shape of an assembly by simply modifying the order in which actuation occurs. This demonstrates how something that is typically associated with mechanical failure, buckling, can be used advantageously with soft robotics. Additionally, buckling is demonstrated that is analogous to biological systems.<br></div>

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Soft robotics is an emerging research subject showing great promise for applications where traditional and rigid robotics is limited, for example, creating stroking sensation by using soft robotics. The purpose of this master's thesis project is to convey caress by designing and manufacturing a wearable haptic soft belt with locomotion. This device is mainly composed of pneumatic artificial muscles, pressurized actuator and control loop by Arduino. The locomotion of this device is realized through the elongation, shortening and position change of tubular pneumatic artificial muscles which was inspired by inchworm locomotion. Several different methods and materials were tested in the experiment. The results show that the device based on the principle of different friction successfully realizes the expected function.

The soft robotics field is developing rapidly and is poised to have a wide impact in a variety of applications. Soft robots have intrinsic compliance, offering a number of benefits as compared to traditional rigid robots. Compliance can provide compatibility with biological systems such as the human body and can provide some benefits for human safety and control. Further research into soft robots can be advanced by further development of pneumatic actuators. Pneumatic actuators are a good fit for exoskeleton robots because of their light weight, small size, and flexible materials. This is because a wearable robot should be human friendly, therefore, it should be light weight, slim, powerful, and simple. In this paper, a novel pneumatic artificial muscle using soft materials including integrated electronics for wearable exoskeletons is proposed. We describe the design, fabrication, and evaluation of the actuator, as well as the manufacturing process used to create it. Compared to traditional pneumatic muscle actuators such as the McKibben actuator and new soft actuators that were recently proposed, the novel actuator overcomes shortcomings of prior work. This is due to the actuator's very high contraction ratio that can be controlled by the manufacturing process. In this paper, we describe the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a novel pneumatic actuator that can accommodate integrated electronics for displacement and pressure measurements used for data analysis and control. The desired performance characteristics for the actuator were 100 ~ 400N at between 35kPa and 105kPa, and upon testing we found almost 120 ~ 300N which confirms that these actuators may be suitable in soft exoskeleton applications with power requirements comparable to rigid exoskeletons. Furthermore, a novel soft pneumatic elbow exoskeleton based on the pneumatic actuator concept and manufacturing process is presented. Each structure is designed and manufactured with all fabric. The distally-worn structure is only 300g, which is light weight for an arm exoskeleton, and the design is simple, leading to a low materials cost. / Master of Science

Research within the fields of women’s health and specifically women’s menstrual health and technology is limited. As of today, problems associated with menstrual health, such as pain, discomfort, cramps, bloating, anxiousness and irregular period are resolved by using contraceptive pills or painkillers. The solutions to use contraceptive pills or painkillers have not been beneficial for research nor development of helpful innovative solutions. This thesis evaluates and explore the possibilities to use soft robotics, Soma Design, and Shape Changing Materials (SCM) to develop interactive software programs used to ease menstrual pain in innovative, flexible and comfortable ways. The thesis delves and analyzes the potential opportunities to facilitate the experience of menstruation, to extend and improve the tools available to increase knowledge, awareness and understanding of the menstruating body with the assist of soft robotics and Soma Design principles. Through exploration, construction, development and testing hardware and software systems we were able to create ten software programs that induce pressure and movements in order to ease menstrual pain in comfortable and flexible ways. The programs were tested using a first-person test approach, providing us with the opportunity to develop specific systems for the person's needs on a personal and intimate level. This approach suited the purpose of exploring the possibilities of using modern technologies as a tool for easing menstrual pain. The applied research method was qualitative with an abductive approach and the collected data was analyzed based on predefined measures. The thesis proved that it is possible to ease menstrual pain with use of technologies. The research resulted in five major findings that we argue are important to take into consideration when developing soft robotics; level of interactivity, prototype placement on the body, physical position of body, noise released from hardware and utilization of external means. The discoveries of this thesis will contribute to increased research that utilizes modern technologies to find solutions that eases menstrual pain and increase knowledge regarding menstrual health. Lastly, this thesis highlights the possibilities of using modern technologies that have never to our knowledge been seen or explored before. / Forskning inom teknik i samband med kvinnors hälsa och särskilt menstruation är begränsad. Idag hanteras problem förknippade med menstruation som smärta, kramper, uppblåsthet, ångest eller obehag med hjälp av hormoner i form av p-piller eller andra preventivmedel, alternativt med smärtstillande tabletter. Användandet av dessa metoder har inte varit fördelaktiga för varken forskningen eller utvecklingen av hjälpfulla och innovativa lösningar. Därför kommer den här avhandlingen att utvärdera och utforska möjligheterna kring att använda olika tekniker som soft robotics, Soma Design och form ändrande material för att utveckla interaktiva mjukvaruprogram med anledning att minska menstruationssmärtor på ett innovativt, flexibelt och bekvämt sätt. Dessutom utforskas och analyseras de potentiella möjligheterna till att underlätta upplevelsen av menstruation genom att utvidga och förbättra de tillgängliga hjälpmedel som finns för att öka kunskapen, medvetenheten och förståelsen för den menstruerande kroppen med hjälp av soft robotics och principer från Soma Design. Genom utforskning, konstruktion, utveckling och testning av hårdvara och mjukvara var det möjligt att skapa tio olika program som inducerar tryck för att minska mensvärk på ett bekvämt och flexibelt sätt. De framställda programmen testades med en första persontestmetod vilket gjorde det möjligt att utveckla programmen till att bli formade efter testpersonens specifika behov på en personlig och intim nivå vilket passade syftet att undersöka om det går att minska menstruationsbesvär med moderna tekniker. Metoden som tillämpades var Forskning genom Design där data analyserades utefter förutbestämda krav. Studien gav svar på att det är möjligt att minska menstruationsbesvär med tekniker. Dessutom resulterade studien i fem principer som vi anser bör överses när man arbetar med soft robotics: nivå av interaktivitet, placering av prototypen på kroppen, kroppens fysiska position, ljud från hårdvara och utnyttjande av externa medel. Resultatet från avhandlingen kommer bidra till att öka kunskapen och forskningen kring menstruations hälsa och öka intresset i utveckling av tekniker som soft robotics eller form ändrande material som hjälpmedel i samband med menstruation. Resultatet belyser möjligheterna av att jobba med moderna tekniker, som så vitt vi vet, aldrig har gjorts eller utforskats förut.

The Humanoid Walking Robot (HWR) is a research platform for the study of legged and wearable robots actuated with Hydro Muscles. The fluid operated HWR is representative of a class of biologically inspired, and in some aspects highly biomimetic robotic musculoskeletal appendages showing certain advantages in comparison to more conventional artificial limbs and braces for physical therapy/rehabilitation, assistance of daily living, and augmentation. The HWR closely mimics the human body structure and function, including the skeleton, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The HWR can emulate close to human-like movements even when subjected to simplified control laws. One of the main drawbacks of this approach is the inaccessibility of an appropriate fluid flow management support system, in the form of affordable, lightweight, compact, and good quality valves suitable for robotics applications. To resolve this shortcoming, the Compact Robotic Flow Control Valve (CRFC Valve) is introduced and successfully proof-of-concept tested. The HWR added with the CRFC Valve has potential to be a highly energy efficient, lightweight, controllable, affordable, and customizable solution that can resolve single muscle action.

Soft robots and particularly inflatable robots are of interest because they are lightweight, compact, robust to impact, and can interact with humans and their environment relatively safely compared to rigid and heavy traditional robots. Improved safety is due to their low mass that results in low-energy collisions and their compliant, soft construction. Inflatable robots (which are a type of soft robot) are also robust to impact and have a high torque to weight ratio. As a result inflatable robots may be used for many applications such as space exploration, search and rescue, and human-robot interaction. One of the potential problems with inflatable or pneumatically actuated robots is air leaking from the structural or actuation chambers. In this thesis methods are demonstrated to detect leaks in the structural and actuation chambers of inflatable and pneumatically actuated robots. It is then demonstrated that leaks can be slowed by lowering a target pressure which affects joint stiffness to prolong the life of the system. To demonstrate the effects of lowering the target pressure it is first shown that there exists a trade-off between the commanded target pressures at steady-state and the steady-state error at the robot end effector under normal operation. It is then shown that lowering the target pressure (which is related to stiffness) can extend the operational life of the system when compressed air is a limited resource. For actuator leaks a lower target pressure for the leaking joint is used to demonstrate the trade-off between slowing the leak rate and system performance. For structural leaks a novel control algorithm is demonstrated to lower target pressure as much as possible to slow the leak while maintaining a user specified level of accuracy. The method developed for structural leaks extends the operational life of the robot. Long-term error during operation is decreased by as much as 50% of the steady-state error at the end effector when compared to performance during a leak without the control algorithm. For actuation leaks in a joint with a high-torque load the possibility of a 30% increase in operation time while only increasing steady-state error by 2 cm on average is demonstrated. For a joint with a low-torque load it is shown that up to a 300% increase in operation time with less than 1 cm increased steady-state error is possible. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates that varying stiffness may be used to extend the operational life of a robot when a leak has occurred. The work discussed here could be used to extend the available operation time of pneumatic robots. The methods and principles presented here could also be adapted for use on other types of robots to preserve limited system resources (e.g., electrical power) and extend their operation time.

This thesis is encompasses the design, construction, control and testing of an improvement upon the novel soft robotic Jennifish platform. The advancement of this platform includes the addition of light and depth sensors as well increasing the separation of tentacle groups from two to three sets. The final vehicle model consists nine PneuNetstyle actuators divided into three groups of three, molded around a machined Delrin pressure vessel. With a 12V submersible impellor pump connected to each actuator grouping, propulsion is created by the filling and emptying of these tentacles with surrounding ambient water. The Jellyfish2.0 is capable of omnidirectional lateral movement as well as upward driven motion. The vehicle also has a temperature sensor and IMU as did the previous of this platform. Qualitative free-swimming testing was conducted, recorded and analyzed as well as quantitative inline load cell testing, to create a benchmark for comparison with other jellyfish like robots. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

abstract: The human hand comprises complex sensorimotor functions that can be impaired by neurological diseases and traumatic injuries. Effective rehabilitation can bring the impaired hand back to a functional state because of the plasticity of the central nervous system to relearn and remodel the lost synapses in the brain. Current rehabilitation therapies focus on strengthening motor skills, such as grasping, employ multiple objects of varying stiffness and devices that are bulky, costly, and have limited range of stiffness due to the rigid mechanisms employed in their variable stiffness actuators. This research project presents a portable cost-effective soft robotic haptic device with a broad stiffness range that is adjustable and can be utilized in both clinical and home settings. The device eliminates the need for multiple objects by employing a pneumatic soft structure made with highly compliant materials that act as the actuator as well as the structure of the haptic interface. It is made with interchangeable soft elastomeric sleeves that can be customized to include materials of varying stiffness to increase or decrease the stiffness range. The device is fabricated using existing 3D printing technologies, and polymer molding and casting techniques, thus keeping the cost low and throughput high. The haptic interface is linked to either an open-loop system that allows for an increased pressure during usage or closed-loop system that provides pressure regulation in accordance with the stiffness the user specifies. A preliminary evaluation is performed to characterize the effective controllable region of variance in stiffness. Results indicate that the region of controllable stiffness was in the center of the device, where the stiffness appeared to plateau with each increase in pressure. The two control systems are tested to derive relationships between internal pressure, grasping force exertion on the surface, and displacement using multiple probing points on the haptic device. Additional quantitative evaluation is performed with study participants and juxtaposed to a qualitative analysis to ensure adequate perception in compliance variance. Finally, a qualitative evaluation showed that greater than 60% of the trials resulted in the correct perception of stiffness in the haptic device. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 2018

abstract: This work presents the integration of user intent detection and control in the development of the fluid-driven, wearable, and continuum, Soft Poly-Limb (SPL). The SPL utilizes the numerous traits of soft robotics to enable a novel approach to provide safe and compliant mobile manipulation assistance to healthy and impaired users. This wearable system equips the user with an additional limb made of soft materials that can be controlled to produce complex three-dimensional motion in space, like its biological counterparts with hydrostatic muscles. Similar to the elephant trunk, the SPL is able to manipulate objects using various end effectors, such as suction adhesion or a soft grasper, and can also wrap its entire length around objects for manipulation. User control of the limb is demonstrated using multiple user intent detection modalities. Further, the performance of the SPL studied by testing its capability to interact safely and closely around a user through a spatial mobility test. Finally, the limb’s ability to assist the user is explored through multitasking scenarios and pick and place tests with varying mounting locations of the arm around the user’s body. The results of these assessments demonstrate the SPL’s ability to safely interact with the user while exhibiting promising performance in assisting the user with a wide variety of tasks, in both work and general living scenarios. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 2018