The ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) is a soft material based actuator and sensor and has a promising potential in underwater application. This paper describes a hybrid biomimetic underwater vehicle that uses IPMCs as sensors. Propelled by the en...
Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are actuators known for their high power to weight ratio, natural compliance and light weight. Due to these advantages, PAMs have been used for orthotic devices and robotic limbs. Small scale PAMs have the same adv...
Cephalopods (i.e., octopuses and squids) are being looked upon as a source of inspiration for the development of unmanned underwater vehicles. One kind of cephalopod-inspired soft-bodied vehicle developed by the authors entails a hollow, elastic shel...
The detailed mechanical design of a digital mask projection stereolithgraphy system is described for the 3D printing of soft actuators. A commercially available, photopolymerizable elastomeric material is identified and characterized in its liquid an...
We present a soft robotic skin that can recognize and localize texture using a distributed set of sensors and computational elements that are inspired by the Pacinian corpuscle, the fast adapting, uniformly spaced mechanoreceptor with a wide receptiv...
IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
Sep 1, 2015
In human locomotion, we continuously modulate joint mechanical impedance of the lower limb (hip, knee, and ankle) either voluntarily or reflexively to accommodate environmental changes and maintain stable interaction. Ankle mechanical impedance plays...
Most robotic applications that contain shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators use the SMA in a linear or spring shape. In contrast, a novel robotic finger was designed in this paper using SMA plates that were thermomechanically trained to take the shape ...
Running with compliant curved legs involves the progression of the center of pressure, the changes of both the leg's stiffness and effective rest length, and the shift of the location of the maximum stress point along the leg. These phenomena are pro...
Conventionally, engineers have employed rigid materials to fabricate precise, predictable robotic systems, which are easily modelled as rigid members connected at discrete joints. Natural systems, however, often match or exceed the performance of rob...
IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering
Jan 1, 2015
Instrumented objects and multipurpose haptic displays have commonly been used to investigate sensorimotor control of grasping and manipulation. A major limitation of these devices, however, is the extent to which the experimenter can vary the interac...