NRI: Vine Robots: Achieving Locomotion and Construction by Growth

NRI：藤蔓机器人：通过生长实现运动和建造

• 批准号: 1637446
• 负责人: Allison Okamura
• 金额: $ 175万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1637446&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NRI; Vine; Robots; Achieving; Locomotion

In contrast to legged robots inspired by locomotion in animals, this project explores robotic locomotion inspired by plant growth. Specifically, the project creates the foundation for classes of robotic systems that grow in a manner similar to vines. Within its accessible region, a vine robot provides not only sensing, but also a physical conduit -- such as a water hose that grows to a fire, or an oxygen tube that grows to a trapped disaster victim. The project will demonstrate vine-like robots able to configure or weave themselves into three-dimensional objects and structures such as ladders, antennae for communication, and shelters. These novel co-robots aim to improve human safety, health, and well-being at a lower cost than conventional robots achieving similar outcomes. Because of their low cost, vine robots offer exceptional educational opportunities; the project will include creation and testing of inexpensive educational modules for K-12 students.This work broadens the concept of bio-inspired robots from animals to plants, the concept of locomotion from point-to-point movement to growth. In contrast to traditional terrestrial moving robots that tend to be based on the animal modality of repeated intermittent contacts with a surface, the vine modality begins with a root, harboring power and logic, and extends using growth, increasing permanent contacts throughout the process. This project will demonstrate a soft robot capable of growing over 100 times in length, withstanding being stepped on, extending through gaps a quarter of its height, climbing stairs and vertical walls, and navigating over rough, slippery, sticky and aquatic terrain. The design adopts a bio-inspired strategy of moving material through the core to the tip, allowing the established part of the robotic vine to remain stationary with respect to the environment. A thin-walled tube fills with air as it grows, allowing the vine robot to be initially stored in a small volume at its base, and to extend very large distances when controllably deployed. Mechanical modeling and new design tools will enable the development of task-specific vine robots for search and rescue, reconfigurable communication antennas, and construction. The paradigm of achieving movement and construction through growth will produce new technologies for integrated actuation, sensing, planning, and control; novel principles and software tools for robot design; and humanitarian applications that push the boundaries of collaborative robotics.

与受动物运动启发的腿式机器人相比，该项目探索受植物生长启发的机器人运动。具体来说，该项目为以类似于藤蔓的方式生长的机器人系统奠定了基础。在其可到达的区域内，藤蔓机器人不仅提供传感功能，还提供物理管道——例如长到火上的水管，或者长到被困灾难受害者的氧气管。该项目将展示类似藤蔓的机器人，它们能够将自己配置或编织成三维物体和结构，例如梯子、通信天线和避难所。这些新颖的协作机器人旨在以比传统机器人更低的成本来改善人类的安全、健康和福祉，从而实现类似的结果。由于成本低廉，藤蔓机器人提供了绝佳的教育机会；该项目将包括为 K-12 学生创建和测试廉价的教育模块。这项工作将仿生机器人的概念从动物扩展到植物，将运动概念从点对点运动扩展到生长。传统的陆地移动机器人往往基于与表面重复间歇接触的动物形态，与之相反，藤蔓形态从根部开始，蕴藏力量和逻辑，并通过生长延伸，在整个过程中增加永久接触。该项目将展示一种软体机器人，其长度能够增长超过 100 倍，能够承受被踩踏、延伸穿过四分之一高度的间隙、攀爬楼梯和垂直墙壁，以及在崎岖、湿滑、粘性和水生地形上导航。该设计采用仿生策略，将材料从核心移动到尖端，从而使机器人藤蔓的既定部分相对于环境保持静止。薄壁管在生长时充满空气，使得藤蔓机器人最初可以存储在其底部的一个小体积中，并在可控部署时延伸非常长的距离。 机械建模和新的设计工具将有助于开发用于搜索和救援、可重构通信天线和建筑的特定任务藤蔓机器人。通过增长实现运动和构建的范式将产生集成驱动、传感、规划和控制的新技术；机器人设计的新颖原理和软件工具；以及突破协作机器人技术界限的人道主义应用。

项目成果

A Tip Mount for Transporting Sensors and Tools using Soft Growing Robots

用于使用软生长机器人运输传感器和工具的尖端安装座

• DOI: 10.1109/iros45743.2020.9340950
• 发表时间: 2020-10
• 期刊: IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS
• 作者: Jeong, Sang;Coad, Margaret M.;Blumenschein, Laura H.;Luo, Ming;Mehmood, Usman;Kim, Ji Hun;Okamura, Allison M.;Ryu, Jee
• 通讯作者: Ryu, Jee

An untethered isoperimetric soft robot

不受束缚的等周软机器人

• DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaz0492
• 发表时间: 2020-03
• 期刊: Science Robotics
• 影响因子: 25
• 作者: Usevitch, Nathan S.;Hammond, Zachary M.;Schwager, Mac;Okamura, Allison M.;Hawkes, Elliot W.;Follmer, Sean
• 通讯作者: Follmer, Sean

Simple, Low-Hysteresis, Foldable, Fabric Pneumatic Artificial Muscle

简单、低滞后、可折叠、织物气动人工肌肉

• DOI: 10.1109/lra.2020.2976309
• 发表时间: 2020-04
• 期刊: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
• 影响因子: 5.2
• 作者: Naclerio, Nicholas D.;Hawkes, Elliot W.
• 通讯作者: Hawkes, Elliot W.

Design of a soft catheter for low-force and constrained surgery

用于低力受限手术的软导管设计

• DOI: 10.1109/iros.2017.8202154
• 发表时间: 2017-09
• 期刊: IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS
• 作者: Slade, Patrick;Gruebele, Ale;Hammond, Zachary;Raitor, Michael;Okamura, Allison M.;Hawkes, Elliot W.
• 通讯作者: Hawkes, Elliot W.

A Dexterous Tip-extending Robot with Variable-length Shape-locking

一种具有变长形状锁定的灵巧伸尖机器人

• DOI: 10.1109/icra40945.2020.9197311
• 发表时间: 2020-05
• 期刊: IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA
• 作者: Wang, Sicheng;Zhang, Ruotong;Haggerty, David A.;Naclerio, Nicholas D.;Hawkes, Elliot W.
• 通讯作者: Hawkes, Elliot W.