Additive manufacturing technology has fostered its significant application in soft robotics fabrication due to the design freedom and ease of realizing complex geometries. The selection of an appropriate additive manu...
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Additive manufacturing technology has fostered its significant application in soft robotics fabrication due to the design freedom and ease of realizing complex geometries. The selection of an appropriate additive manufacturing process (out-of-material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, and powder bed fusion) is vital for the fabrication of soft robotics as the process greatly influences the quality of the part further affecting the functionality and service life. These pneumatically actuated robots in their service life are subjected to fatigue loading and handling of very delicate tasks;thus, the porosity (including pores characterization) and surface roughness are two critical quality parameters which should be considered while choosing the fabrication process. In this study, a three-way decision-making (a multi-criteria decision-making tool) approach is implemented for selecting an appropriate additive manufacturing process for the fabrication of high-quality parts for soft robotics applications. The results (ranking of AM processes) obtained using the proposed approach are compared with the conventional decision-making techniques, namely TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), MOORA (Multi-Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis), and VIKOR (VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija). The sensitivity analysis carried out in this work also suggests that three-way decision-making is as effective as other MCDM tools and the vat photopolymerization process is the most suitable out of all for fabricating TPU actuators.
Hands-on exploration with robotics has been developed as a tool for creativity, but there are limitations with regard to accessibility. As a new method of creative and pervasive exploration for children and students, ...
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Hands-on exploration with robotics has been developed as a tool for creativity, but there are limitations with regard to accessibility. As a new method of creative and pervasive exploration for children and students, we propose a workshop using inflatable soft robots with short video recipes and onomatopoeia as a prompt. This method does not require prior knowledge or high fabrication costs and includes open-ended designs. Based on the soft robots obtained from five practical workshops with 131 participants, about 88% showed new structures and 61% exhibited advanced trials, which require deep consideration of the structures. The participants discovered new mechanisms themselves through exploration and used the given onomatopoeia to imagine their own storytelling for exploration. The results indicate the potential of our method to encourage both structure discovery and diverse expressions. It can be used as a tool for creative learning and a guideline for designing other approaches.
The position paper presents an argument that aesthetic theory and practice are pertinent to the rapidly expanding field of soft robotics. soft robotics as an aesthetic phenomenon is introduced and contextualized drawi...
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The position paper presents an argument that aesthetic theory and practice are pertinent to the rapidly expanding field of soft robotics. soft robotics as an aesthetic phenomenon is introduced and contextualized drawing on the author's own research and practice. The potential of aesthetic perspectives and approaches in developing and implementing soft robotics are highlighted with a focus on technical design and humanrobot interaction.
Telerehabilitation and robotics, either traditional rigid or soft, have been extensively studied and used to improve hand functionality after a stroke. However, a limited number of devices combined these two technolog...
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Telerehabilitation and robotics, either traditional rigid or soft, have been extensively studied and used to improve hand functionality after a stroke. However, a limited number of devices combined these two technologies to such a level of maturity that was possible to use them at the patients' home, unsupervised. Here we present a novel investigation that demonstrates the feasibility of a system that integrates a soft inflatable robotic glove, a cloud -connected software interface, and a telerehabilitation therapy. Ten chronic moderate -to -severe stroke survivors independently used the system at their home for 4 weeks, following a software -led therapy and being in touch with occupational therapists. Data from the therapy, including automatic assessments by the robot, were available to the occupational therapists in real-time, thanks to the cloud -connected capability of the system. The participants used the system intensively (about five times more movements per session than the standard care) for a total of more than 8 hr of therapy on average. We were able to observe improvements in standard clinical metrics (FMA +3.9 +/- 4.0, p < .05, COPM-P + 2.5 +/- 1.3, p < .05, COPM-S + 2.6 +/- 1.9, p < .05, MAL-AOU +6.6 +/- 6.5, p < .05) and range of motion (+88%) at the end of the intervention. Despite being small, these improvements sustained at follow-up, 2 weeks after the end of the therapy. These promising results pave the way toward further investigation for the deployment of combined soft robotic/ telerehabilitive systems at-home for autonomous usage for stroke rehabilitation.
Backgroundsoft, wearable, powered exoskeletons are novel devices that may assist rehabilitation, allowing users to walk further or carry out activities of daily living. However, soft robotic exoskeletons, and the more...
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Backgroundsoft, wearable, powered exoskeletons are novel devices that may assist rehabilitation, allowing users to walk further or carry out activities of daily living. However, soft robotic exoskeletons, and the more commonly used rigid exoskeletons, are not widely adopted clinically. The available evidence highlights a disconnect between the needs of exoskeleton users and the engineers designing devices. This review aimed to explore the literature on physiotherapist and patient perspectives of the longer-standing, and therefore greater evidenced, rigid exoskeleton limitations. It then offered potential solutions to these limitations, including soft robotics, from an engineering *** state-of-the-art review was carried out which included both qualitative and quantitative research papers regarding patient and/or physiotherapist perspectives of rigid exoskeletons. Papers were themed and themes formed the review's *** main themes regarding the limitations of soft exoskeletons were important to physiotherapists and patients: safety;a one-size-fits approach;ease of device use;weight and placement of device;cost of device;and, specific to patients only, appearance of the device. Potential soft-robotics solutions to address these limitations were offered, including compliant actuators, sensors, suit attachments fitting to user's body, and the use of control *** is evident that current exoskeletons are not meeting the needs of their users. Solutions to the limitations offered may inform device development. However, the solutions are not infallible and thus further research and development is required.
This work introduces an environmentally benign and degradable elastomer, poly(glycerol sebacate) with calcium carbonate (PGS-CaCO3), for use in soft robotics. Development of greener materials like PGS-CaCO3 contribute...
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This work introduces an environmentally benign and degradable elastomer, poly(glycerol sebacate) with calcium carbonate (PGS-CaCO3), for use in soft robotics. Development of greener materials like PGS-CaCO3 contributes to robot designs that do not require retrieval and can safely degrade in the natural environment. A simplified synthesis method of PGS was used to create elastomer sheets, which were laser cut/rastered then laminated with cyanoacrylate glue into pneumatic soft actuators. The modified polymer synthesis method is accessible for roboticists and the three chemicals used are non-hazardous and inexpensive. Three accordion-style pneumatic actuators (3, 4 and 5 chambers) were characterized for free displacement and blocked force in both linear extension and curling motions, and an additional four 3-chambered actuators were also tested to leakage and failure. Material characterization of PGS-CaCO3 samples of all ages gave: ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from 48 to 160 kPa, elongation percent at UTS from 157 to 242%, moduli from 45 to 154 kPa, average resilience of 88% at 100 cycles, and maximum compressive force of 246 N at 50% strain. After being in an approximately 50-55 degrees C compost pile for 7 days, the polymer visibly degraded and had an average mass loss of 20% across 12 samples. PGS's strength, elasticity, biodegradability and chemical safety make it a desirable option for roboticists looking to leverage sustainable materials. PGS may also prove a potential green alternative for robotics applications in ubiquitous environmental and infrastructure sensing.
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