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Miniaturized Circuitry for Capacitive Self-Sensing and Closed-Loop Control of Soft Electrostatic Transducers
Khoi Ly1, Nicholas Kellaris1,2, Dade McMorris3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Soft Robotics
|October 1, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a novel circuit for soft robots, enabling simultaneous actuation and sensing without high-voltage components. This innovation simplifies design and facilitates untethered, multifunctional soft robotic systems.
Area of Science:
- Soft robotics
- Electrostatic actuation
- Sensor integration
Background:
- Soft robots utilize deformable materials for enhanced compliance and adaptability in dynamic environments.
- Electrostatic transducers like dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators offer muscle-like performance and self-sensing.
- Existing self-sensing methods for electrostatic transducers require high-voltage sensing, hindering miniaturization and untethered applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel circuit design for electrostatic transducers that eliminates the need for high-voltage sensing components.
- To enable simultaneous actuation and sensing in soft robotic systems using a simplified, low-cost circuit.
- To facilitate the development of compact, portable, and untethered multifunctional soft robotic systems.
Main Methods:
- Developed a new circuit design for electrostatic transducers, eliminating high-voltage sensing requirements.
- Implemented simultaneous actuation and sensing for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators.
- Integrated the circuit into a compact system for actuation, sensing, and computation, and demonstrated feedback control of a robotic arm.
Main Results:
- Achieved accurate displacement estimation with errors less than 4% for various electrostatic transducers.
- Demonstrated a simplified, low-cost circuit design using off-the-shelf components.
- Successfully developed a prototype for untethered multifunctional soft robotic systems and showcased feedback control capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The proposed circuit design significantly advances self-sensing capabilities in soft electrostatic actuators.
- This innovation paves the way for more integrated, cost-effective, and untethered soft robotic systems.
- The developed system enables precise control and opens new possibilities for complex soft robotic applications.
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