CAREER: Whole Skin Locomotion Inspired by Amoeboid Motility Mechanisms

职业：受阿米巴运动机制启发的整个皮肤运动

• 批准号: 0643839
• 负责人: Dennis Hong
• 金额: $ 40.01万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-03-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0643839&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Whole; Skin; Locomotion; Inspired

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) research project explores a novel locomotion mechanism for mobile robots which is inspired by the motility mechanisms of single celled organisms that use cytoplasmic streaming to generate pseudopods for locomotion. The Whole Skin Locomotion (WSL), as we call it, works by way of an elongated toroid which turns itself inside out in a single continuous motion, effectively generating the overall motion of the cytoplasmic streaming ectoplasmic tube in amoebae. Our preliminary experiments show that a robot using the WSL mechanism can easily squeeze between obstacles or under a collapsed ceiling and move forward using all of its contact surfaces for traction, or even squeeze itself through holes with diameters much smaller than its nominal width. This unique mobility makes WSL the ideal locomotion method for search-and-rescue robots that need to traverse over or under rubble, or for medical applications such as robotic endoscopes where a robot needs to maneuver itself into tight spaces. This research project combines fundamental analytical and experimental research towards the design and development of the novel WSL mechanism. This is achieved by; applying biological theories of amoeboid motility mechanisms to develop WSL actuation models; performing analysis for the mechanics of these models; conducting parametric studies for design including power efficiency and force transmission characteristics; building an experimental apparatus for validation; developing macro and micro scale novel actuators; and fabricating robot prototypes for demonstration and evaluation. The intellectual merits of the proposed activities lie in the development of an original concept of a new class of mechanism that generates an everting motion from the expanding and contracting motion of actuating rings to be used for a new type of biologically inspired locomotion strategy for mobile robots, and in promoting the concept of bio-inspiration in design. This novel mechanism will also enable smart materials such as electroactive polymers to be used in new ways, opening the door for new, creative and exciting areas such as "soft robotics."

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）研究项目探索了一种新颖的移动机器人运动机制，其灵感来自于单细胞生物体的运动机制，这些生物体利用细胞质流产生伪足进行运动。我们称之为全皮肤运动（WSL），它通过一个细长的环形线圈来工作，该环形线圈以单一的连续运动将其自身翻转，有效地产生变形虫细胞质流质管的整体运动。我们的初步实验表明，使用 WSL 机制的机器人可以轻松地挤压在障碍物之间或塌陷的天花板下，并利用其所有接触面进行牵引向前移动，甚至可以将自己挤压通过直径远小于其标称宽度的孔。这种独特的移动性使 WSL 成为需要在废墟上方或下方穿越的搜救机器人或需要机器人自行进入狭小空间的机器人内窥镜等医疗应用的理想移动方法。该研究项目结合了基础分析和实验研究，旨在设计和开发新型 WSL 机制。这是通过以下方式实现的：应用变形虫运动机制的生物学理论来开发 WSL 驱动模型；对这些模型的力学进行分析；进行设计参数研究，包括功率效率和力传递特性；建立用于验证的实验装置；开发宏观和微观尺度的新型执行器；并制造机器人原型以进行演示和评估。所提出活动的智力优点在于开发了一种新型机构的原创概念，该机构通过驱动环的扩张和收缩运动产生外翻运动，用于移动机器人的新型生物启发运动策略，并在设计中推广生物灵感的概念。这种新颖的机制还将使电活性聚合物等智能材料能够以新的方式使用，为“软机器人”等新的、创造性的和令人兴奋的领域打开大门。