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Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
Published on: February 1, 2016
Bio-inspired annelid robot: a dielectric elastomer actuated soft robot.
Liang Xu1, Han-Qing Chen, Jiang Zou
1State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China. University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China. These authors contributed equally to this work.
This study introduces a soft, bio-inspired annelid robot using dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) for locomotion. The robot mimics earthworm movement, achieving speeds of 5.3 mm/s on flat surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Biomimetics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Soft robots offer advantages in compliance and safety.
- Existing soft robots face challenges in actuation and mimicking biological locomotion.
- Annelid locomotion provides a model for efficient, compliant movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a soft, bio-inspired annelid robot using dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs).
- To mimic annelid locomotion principles, including axial elongation and differential friction.
- To evaluate the robot's speed and bionic capabilities on flat surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of DEAs to replicate annelid body segment mechanics.
- Integration of multiple DEAs into a multi-segment robot.
- Attachment of bristles to DEAs to mimic annelid setae for differential friction.
- Control of the robot using peristaltic wave-like signals.
Main Results:
- A 3-segment annelid robot achieved an average speed of 5.3 mm/s.
- The robot successfully mimicked annelid peristaltic locomotion on rigid surfaces.
- The bionic design demonstrated advantages in speed and biomimicry compared to existing robots.
Conclusions:
- The developed DEA-driven soft annelid robot effectively mimics biological locomotion.
- This approach offers a promising solution for soft robotics actuation and bio-inspired design.
- The robot's performance highlights the potential of DEAs in creating advanced biomimetic robots.
