Adaptable cavity exploration: Bioinspired vibration-propelled PufferFace Robot with a morphable body

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Soft Robotics
• Bio-inspired Engineering

Background:

• Adaptive morphology in robots enhances environmental interaction without complex control.
• Inspecting centimeter-scale pipelines with varying diameters and shapes presents significant challenges for current robotic systems.
• Existing soft robots struggle with pipe size variations, transitions, and fluid flow management.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the PufferFace Robot (PFR), a novel soft robot with adaptive morphology.
• Demonstrate PFR's capability for exploring cavities using simple, vibration-propelled locomotion.
• Address the limitations of current soft robots in pipeline inspection.

Main Methods:

• Designed PFR inspired by the pufferfish, featuring inflatable soft skin and flexible spikes.
• Utilized vibration-induced asymmetrical friction for propulsion without feedback control.
• Integrated a hollow structure for fluid flow and a front-mounted camera for inspection.

Main Results:

• PFR successfully navigates pipeline cavities 1 to 1.5 times its diameter.
• The robot adeptly handles critical pipeline features like 90° elbows, T-connectors, and high-curvature sections.
• PFR demonstrated a propulsive force 20 to 35 times its weight in specific scenarios.

Conclusions:

• PFR's adaptive design and vibration-propelled locomotion offer a simple yet effective solution for pipeline inspection.
• The robot's ability to adapt to varying pipe conditions overcomes key challenges in the field.
• PFR represents a promising advancement in soft robotics for infrastructure inspection.