Body Caudal Undulation Measured by Soft Sensors and Emulated by Soft Artificial Muscles.

Journal: Integrative and comparative biology
Published Date: Nov 17, 2021

Abstract

We propose the use of bio-inspired robotics equipped with soft sensor technologies to gain a better understanding of the mechanics and control of animal movement. Soft robotic systems can be used to generate new hypotheses and uncover fundamental principles underlying animal locomotion and sensory capabilities, which could subsequently be validated using living organisms. Physical models increasingly include lateral body movements, notably back and tail bending, which are necessary for horizontal plane undulation in model systems ranging from fish to amphibians and reptiles. We present a comparative study of the use of physical modeling in conjunction with soft robotics and integrated soft and hyperelastic sensors to monitor local pressures, enabling local feedback control, and discuss issues related to understanding the mechanics and control of undulatory locomotion. A parallel approach combining live animal data with biorobotic physical modeling promises to be beneficial for gaining a better understanding of systems in motion.

Authors

  • Fabian Schwab
    Locomotion in Biorobotic and Somatic Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, Stuttgart 70569, Germany.
  • Elias T Lunsford
    Department of Biology, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL 32080, USA.
  • Taehwa Hong
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
  • Fabian Wiesemüller
    Materials and Technology Center of Robotics, EMPA, Überlandstrasse 129, Zürich 8600, Switzerland.
  • Mirko Kovac
  • Yong-Lae Park
    1 Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • Otar Akanyeti
    Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3FL, UK.
  • James C Liao
    The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA.
  • Ardian Jusufi
    1 Centre for Autonomous Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney.

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