Automatic building of a web-like structure based on thermoplastic adhesive

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Material Science
• Bio-inspired Engineering

Background:

• Animals construct structures to manipulate their environment, such as spiders building webs for prey capture.
• Robotics can be advanced by mimicking natural construction behaviors for automated task accomplishment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop robotic technology for automatic construction of web-like structures using thermoplastic adhesive (TPA).
• To investigate the parameters influencing TPA thread thickness and the utility of these structures for specific tasks.

Main Methods:

• Modeling the extrusion and drawing of TPA threads, incorporating temperature-dependent material properties.
• Utilizing a generalized nonlinear finite element truss model to predict structural deformation under load.
• Demonstrating the automatic construction of a load-bearing web-like structure.

Main Results:

• A model was developed to show that controlling the drawing speed of TPA threads influences their diameter (0.2-0.75 mm) by managing heat loss.
• The finite element model accurately predicted the deformation of web-like structures when subjected to payloads.
• Successful automatic construction of a web-like structure capable of bearing payloads was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Robotic construction of TPA web-like structures is feasible, with thread diameter controllable via drawing speed.
• The developed models provide accurate predictions for structural behavior and enable functional construction.
• This bio-inspired approach opens possibilities for robots to build custom structures for diverse applications.