THE USE OF THE WORD ROBOTIC IMPLIES A RIGID BULKY AND COMPLEX DEVICE. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT A CONFLUENCE…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_80NSSC17K0553_080

FAIN

80NSSC17K0553

Recipient

YALE UNIV

Awarding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Funding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Assistance listing (CFDA)

43.012

Total obligated

$445,411

Period

Sep 13, 2017 – Sep 12, 2020

Fiscal year

2017

Place of performance state

CT

Source file

FY2017_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

THE USE OF THE WORD ROBOTIC IMPLIES A RIGID BULKY AND COMPLEX DEVICE. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT A CONFLUENCE OF FACTORS NOW MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO SHED THIS STEREOTYPE AND BUILD ROBOTS THAT EXPLOIT THE PROPERTIES OF SOFT DEFORMABLE MATERIALS. THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED WORK IS TO ENABLE A CLASS OF SOFT ROBOTS WHERE ALL THE FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS ARE EMBEDDED IN A REMOVABLE AND TRANSFERABLE SKIN. WE ENVISION ACTIVE ELASTIC SKINS WHERE THE 2D ACTIVE ELASTIC SKIN MAY BE WRAPPED AROUND ANY HIGHLY DEFORMABLE 3D OBJECT TO CREATE A HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL SOFT ROBOT. IN THIS VISION ANY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL MAY BE THE FOUNDATION OF A SOFT ROBOT SUCH AS AN INFLATABLE BALLOON OR BLOCK OF FOAM. ACTIVE ELASTIC SKINS WILL BE FABRICATED IN 2D TRANSPORTED IN 2D AND THEN POSITIONED ON AN INERT 3D HOST TO ENABLE A FULLY FUNCTIONAL 3D ROBOT. ACTIVE ELASTIC SKINS WILL ENABLE MORE EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION OF ROBOTS INCREASED VERSATILITY IN ROBOTS AND NEW PARADIGMS IN SOFT ROBOTIC DESIGN. FOUR RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ARE PROPOSED IN THIS PROJECT: (1) DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF ACTIVE ELASTIC SKINS WITH CONTROLLED BIAXIAL STRESSES: OUR AIM IS TO CREATE ACTIVE ELASTIC SKINS THAT CAN PRODUCE ENOUGH FORCE ALONG A GIVEN AXIS TO IMPART MOTION ONTO A DEFORMABLE HOST. AS AN INITIAL TARGET WE WILL STRIVE FOR SYSTEMS THAT PRODUCE BIAXIAL DEFORMATIONS OF AT LEAST 50% WITHOUT LOADING. WE BELIEVE THAT NO SINGLE ACTIVE MATERIAL WILL MEET THE ROBUST REQUIREMENTS OF SOFT ROBOTIC MOBILITY AND MANIPULATION TASKS. RATHER AN APPROPRIATE ACTUATION SYSTEM WILL BE MADE FROM COMPOSITE ACTIVE MATERIALS THAT USE PARALLEL RESPONSES TO CONTROL MOTIONS. IN THIS PROJECT WE WILL USE SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS AND SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS AND LEVERAGE THEIR INTERACTION WITH ELASTIC SUBSTRATES TO ACHIEVE HIGH-DEFORMATIONS. (2) SYNTHESIS CHARACTERIZATION AND FUSION OF ELASTIC SENSORS: HIGHLY DEFORMABLE ROBOTIC SYSTEMS REQUIRE EQUALLY DEFORMABLE SENSORS FOR STATE ESTIMATION AND TACTILE FEEDBACK. WE WILL LEVERAGE OUR ONGOING WORK ON SOF