A modular strategy for distributed, embodied control of electronics-free soft robots.

Journal: Science advances
PMID: 37418520

Abstract

Robots typically interact with their environments via feedback loops consisting of electronic sensors, microcontrollers, and actuators, which can be bulky and complex. Researchers have sought new strategies for achieving autonomous sensing and control in next-generation soft robots. We describe here an electronics-free approach for autonomous control of soft robots, whose compositional and structural features embody the sensing, control, and actuation feedback loop of their soft bodies. Specifically, we design multiple modular control units that are regulated by responsive materials such as liquid crystal elastomers. These modules enable the robot to sense and respond to different external stimuli (light, heat, and solvents), causing autonomous changes to the robot's trajectory. By combining multiple types of control modules, complex responses can be achieved, such as logical evaluations that require multiple events to occur in the environment before an action is performed. This framework for embodied control offers a new strategy toward autonomous soft robots that operate in uncertain or dynamic environments.

Authors

  • Qiguang He
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
  • Rui Yin
    Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, College of Medicine, FL, USA. Electronic address: ruiyin@ufl.edu.
  • Yucong Hua
    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Weijian Jiao
    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Chengyang Mo
    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Hang Shu
    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Jordan R Raney
    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

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