A bionic robotic trunk with tensegrity-enabled elephant-comparable stiffness variability for assisted daily living.

Area of Science:

• Bio-inspired robotics
• Mechanical engineering
• Assistive technology

Background:

• Elephant trunks exhibit remarkable stiffness variability, transitioning from soft for dexterity to rigid for load-bearing.
• Existing bionic robots struggle to replicate this wide stiffness range and rapid switching speed.
• Current methods like jamming structures and phase-change materials have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a bionic robotic trunk with dynamic stiffness regulation capabilities.
• To achieve a broad tunable stiffness range and high switching frequency, mimicking elephant trunks.
• To demonstrate the robot's utility in unstructured environments and assistive tasks.

Main Methods:

• Designed a bionic robotic trunk utilizing a cable-driven tensegrity skeleton.
• Implemented synergistic and antagonistic muscle-mimicking mechanisms for stiffness control.
• Employed coordinated contraction of motor-actuated cables for dynamic stiffness regulation.

Main Results:

• The robotic trunk demonstrated a stiffness range from 23.94 to 542.47 N/m.
• Achieved a rapid switching frequency of 1.06 Hz, comparable to elephant trunks.
• Successfully navigated unstructured environments and manipulated heavy objects.

Conclusions:

• The developed robotic trunk offers unprecedented stiffness adaptability, surpassing current bionic robots.
• Its capabilities enable dexterous manipulation and robust performance in challenging settings.
• Integration into assistive devices shows significant potential for improving daily life for individuals with disabilities.