Rutgers University engineers created unique elastomeric rotary actuators based on pneumatically driven peristaltic motion. Using silicone-based wheels, these motors enable a new class of soft locomotion — not found in nature — that can withstand impact, traverse irregular terrain and operate in water. For soft robotics, this innovation represents progress toward providing torque without bending actuators. Credit: Xiangyu Gong
Rutgers engineers, in a breakthrough, create a soft motor that could power versatile soft robots. A small, squishy vehicle equipped with soft wheels rolls over rough terrain and runs under water. Future versions of the versatile vehicle might be suitable for search and rescue missions after disasters, deep space and planet exploration, and manipulating objects during MRI, according to its creators at Rutgers University.
Their most important innovation is a soft motor that provides torque without bending or extending its housing, said Aaron D. Mazzeo, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Innovations by Gong and the other Rutgers researchers include:
~Motor rotation without bending. “It’s actually remarkably simple, but providing torque without bending is something we believe will be advantageous for soft robots going forward,” Mazzeo said.
~A unique wheel and axle configuration that is not found in nature. The soft wheels may allow for passive suspensions.
~Wheels that use peristalsis.
~A consolidated wheel and motor with an integrated “transmission.”
~Soft, metal-free motors suitable for harsh environments with electromagnetic fields.
~The ability to handle impacts. The vehicle survived a fall 8X its ht.
~The ability to brake motors and hold them in a fixed position without the need for extra power.
Method: they used silicone rubber that is nearly 1 million times softer than aluminum. Its softness is somewhere between a silicone spatula and a relaxed human calf muscle. The motors were made using 3D printed molds and soft lithography, and a provisional patent has been filed with the U.S. government.
Future possibilities include amphibious vehicles that could traverse rugged lakebeds; search and rescue missions in extreme environments, eg irregular tunnels; shock-absorbing vehicles that could be used as landers equipped with parachutes; and elbow-like systems with limbs on either side. “We think these robots also would be useful for working around children or animals, and you could envision them being helpful in hospitals,” Mazzeo said. “There are opportunities also for toys and for creating educational science or engineering kits.” http://news.rutgers.edu/news/%E2%80%98squishy%E2%80%99-motors-and-wheels-give-soft-robots-new-ride/20160622.V3Jyv_krK70
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