SBIR Phase I: Lightweight Self-sensing Robotic End Effectors

SBIR 第一阶段：轻型自感知机器人末端执行器

• 批准号: 1938550
• 负责人: Mark Gummin
• 金额: $ 22.47万
• 依托单位: Miga Motor Company
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-03-15 至 2021-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1938550&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Lightweight; Self; sensing

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop silent assistive robotic arms and end-tools for new robotic applications. The lightweight and dexterous tools – on the end of an agile robotic arm – will be able to perform intricate tasks such as cutting, pinching, and grasping for uses as diverse as panning/tilting cameras, to assembly tasks, to picking soft fruits and berries. Beyond improved cost and energy efficiency, these new devices will enable new personal robot applications. In addition, due to their simplicity and significantly lower weight and size, the proposed products will consume fewer natural resources than their current counterparts and can be more easily recycled due to the smaller number of components, ultimately enabling greater use of assistive robotic devices.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore the potential of using using Shape Memory (SM) and Superelastic (SE) nitinol wires instead of motors. SM/SE wires are alloys of Nickel and Titanium that contract aggressively when heated with electrical current, producing large forces and modest stroke; they can enable lighter, more efficient robotic joints and tools to perform a variety of human tasks. The technical objectives are to design a lightweight, agile, and silent robotic arm and end effectors utilizing SM and SE nitinol wires to both drive and sense position and forces. The end effectors will be a pincher/gripper and a cutter. The arm and end tools will be designed for tasks and loads typically performed by human hands, creating new tools for applications and loads between delicate surgeries and larger-scale industrial usage.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为新机器人应用开发无声的辅助机器人武器和最终工具。轻巧和灵敏的工具（在敏捷的机器人臂的末端）将能够执行复杂的任务，例如切割，捏和抓握，以便使用像潜水员（如锅底/倾斜摄像头），以装配任务，挑选软果实和胆汁。除了提高成本和能源效率之外，这些新设备还可以实现新的个人机器人应用程序。 In addition, due to their simplicity and significantly lower weight and size, the proposed products will consume fewer natural resources than their current counterparts and can be more easily recycled due to the smaller number of components, ultimately enabling greater use of assistive robotic devices.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore the potential of using using Shape Memory (SM) and Superelastic (SE) nitinol wires instead of motors. SM/SE电线是镍和钛的合金，当用电流加热时，​​它们会积极收缩，产生大力和适度的中风；它们可以使更轻，更高效的机器人关节和工具来执行各种人类任务。技术目标是设计轻巧，敏捷和无声的机器人臂，并使用SM和SE Nitinol电线来驱动以及感官位置和力量。最终效果将是捏合/抓手和刀具。手臂和终端工具将设计用于通常由人类手执行的任务和负载，为精致手术和大规模的工业用途之间的应用和负载创建新工具。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来通过评估来获得的支持。