Soft Elastomeric Manipulators for Underwater Vehicles

Otherlab has developed significant capability in the design and construction of inflated structures and actuators. These systems revolutionize robotics by lifting significantly more than they weigh, robustly gripping objects with simple grabbers, providing compliance under load to avoid damage to self or the environment, and still executing precision manipulation. In addition, the low weight and extremely low cost materials and methods used for construction make them attractive replacements for traditional manipulator technology. Their compliance both allows them to be used safely around humans and to interact with the environment with inherently gentle touch and pressure sensitive control. The Otherlab technology will now be leveraged to build marine manipulators to enhance the capabilities of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles. Otherlab will develop nearly neutrally buoyant elastomeric manipulators capable of using ambient sea water for working fluid to lift and grasp objects under water. These manipulators will be introduced to the market space with the intention of addressing needs for very light and small volume components required for AUVs, which by nature need to conserve power and therefore minimize weight and drag. The manipulators also will serve as lower cost, high capability ROV arms.