SOFT ROBOTICS

A STUDY AND APPLICATION OF LIMB

REHABILITATION

PRESENTATED BY-

AISHWARYA SHARMAM.TECH (R&AE)

00616418715

INTRODUCTION•A subfield of robotics.•Bio-inspired structure and nature, can undergo large

deformations.•Non rigid, constructed with soft and deformable materials like

-silicon

-plastic (polymers)-fabric-rubber (elastomers)-compliant mechanical parts like springs.

WHY SOFT ROBOTICS?

• Robots have traditionally been made from hard

materials such as metal and plastic.

• These robots are more like machines than biological

organisms.

• Soft robotics on the other hand seeks to make robots

that are soft, flexible and compliant, just like biological

organisms.

• The ‘body’ of a soft robot is soft like natural tissue.

HOW BIO-INSPIRED?

CONVENTIONAL ROBOTS vs. SOFT ROBOTS

Body-Aluminium/Steel/Plastic

Hard wired, Software driven

Bulky, Limited motion

Body-Silicon/Rubber/Soft plastic

Mostly pneumatically controlled

Flexible, Elastic, Good reachability

Springs, Dampers, Impact-absorbing rubbers are used in assembly

Use of sticking agents and polymers

Soft sensors are used

Metal components used in assembly.

Use of Nuts and Blots

Hardwired sensors are used.

Conventional Robots Soft Robots

MECHANICAL GRIPPER SOFT GRIPPER

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Soft robots are generally pneumatically controlled.

• The air pressure is regulated by specialised programmed

pumps.

• Movement of the manipulator is directed by soft

actuators and soft sensors.

• Basic sensors used- pressure sensor, proximity sensor,

optical sensor, position sensors etc.

THE SOFT MATERIALS AND ACTUATION

• Materials from which this class of devices is fabricated

are usually polymers (especially elastomers).

• They fall into the category of organic materials sciences.

• The use of soft materials allows for continuous

deformation.

• Generally used materials are silicone polymers and

elastomers.

THE PneuNets

• There is currently no technology that can replicate the

balanced performance of animal muscle.

• In soft robotics, the concept of PneuNets is widely used

for actuation.

• PneuNet refers to the embedded pneumatic networks of

channels in elastomers that inflate like balloons for

actuation, providing the required motion/movement to the

robot.

PneuNet Structure

SILICONE ELASTOMERS

• Generally used soft matters for fabricating the robots are

silicone based polymers and elastomers like silicone

rubber.

• Silicone is preferred over other materials due to the

following properties:

• Virtually unaffected by weather- rain, snow, humidity, ozone, or the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays for many years.

• Wider operating temperature range - from -100 to 316ºC

(-148 to 600ºF).

• Very high elongation (up to 1200%).

• Biocompatibility: Exhibit superior compatibility with

human tissue and body fluids and an extremely low

tissue response when implanted.

• Odorless and tasteless, silicones do not support bacteria

growth and will not stain or corrode other materials.

SILICONE’S CHEMICAL STRUCTURE

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

Soft robots are mechanically biocompatible and capable of life like functionalities.

• Human motor assistance and co-robotics.

• Pneumatically powered humanoids, orthoses, andprosthetics.

• Field robots for search missions and data collection.

• Miniaturized soft robots may also be used for drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and medical implants.

An overview of soft robotics, potential spin-off technologies, manufacturing methods, and commercial markets.

REEL LIFE EXAMPLE?In "Big Hero 6," the latest 3-D animated film from Disney, the titular hero is a soft robot.

The whole idea of Baymax, the caretaker robot in the movie, occurred to co-director Don Hall during a visit to Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute.

One can find everything from snake-botsto crocodile-bots to bot swarms — to theinflatable robotic arm that inspired Hall.

Baymax is still very much a creature of fiction: there are no full-scalehumanoid soft robots yet, and some ofthe technology still needs to be workedout.

A Soft Robotic Hand Glove

PROPOSED MODEL

PROTOTYPE

SINGLE FINGERED GRIPPER THREE FINGERED GRIPPER

PROTOTYPE

SINGLE FINGERED GRIPPER- INFLATED

THREE FINGERED GRIPPER- INFLATED

PROTOTYPE

THREE FINGERED GRIPPER- GRIPPING AN OBJECT

ASPIRED PROTOTYPE

SOFT ROBOTIC HAND FOR MOTOR ASSISTANCE

REFERENCES• http://biodesign.seas.harvard.edu/soft-robotics

• http://biodesign.seas.harvard.edu/soft-exosuits

• http://www.brl.ac.uk/research/researchthemes/softrobotics/aboutsoftrobotics

• http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/big-hero-6-science-behind-baymax-

disneys-big-soft-robot

• http://www.everything-robotic.com/2013/09/co-robots-really-are-big-thing

• Soft robotics: A perspective-current trends and prospects for the future by

Carmel Majidi.

• http://www.nature.com/news/meet-the-soft-cuddly-robots-of-the-future

• Deformation in soft-matter robotics, Article by Liyu Wang and Fumiya Iida.