Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 291-303 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Soft robotics |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 1 Jun 2018 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2018 |
Abstract
Added to their high dexterity and ability to conform to complex shapes, continuum robots can be further improved to provide safer interaction with their environment. Indeed, controlling their stiffness is one of the most challenging yet promising research topics. We propose a tubular stiffening sheath as a replaceable cover for small-diameter continuum robots to temporarily increase the stiffness in a certain configuration. In this article, we assess and compare performances of two different stiffening modalities: Granular and layer jamming, provide arguments for material selection and experimental results for stiffness with respect to lateral and axial applied forces. Furthermore, we detected empirically additional effects relating sheath stiffness to material parameters and added to recent investigations in the state of the art, which are based exclusively on material roughness. Finally, we integrated the selected layer jamming material in a miniaturized sheath (13 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm wall thickness) and covered a tendon-actuated continuum robot with it. Experimental characterization of the behavior with respect to applied external forces was performed via stiffness measurements and proved that the initial tendon-actuated continuum robot stiffness can be improved by a factor up to 24.
Keywords
- bioresorbable granule, layer jamming, reversible stiffness, structural stiffening, tubular sheath
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Engineering(all)
- Control and Systems Engineering
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Biophysics
- Computer Science(all)
- Artificial Intelligence
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In: Soft robotics, Vol. 5, No. 3, 06.2018, p. 291-303.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Stiffening Sheaths for Continuum Robots
AU - Langer, Marlene
AU - Amanov, Ernar
AU - Burgner-Kahrs, Jessica
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - Added to their high dexterity and ability to conform to complex shapes, continuum robots can be further improved to provide safer interaction with their environment. Indeed, controlling their stiffness is one of the most challenging yet promising research topics. We propose a tubular stiffening sheath as a replaceable cover for small-diameter continuum robots to temporarily increase the stiffness in a certain configuration. In this article, we assess and compare performances of two different stiffening modalities: Granular and layer jamming, provide arguments for material selection and experimental results for stiffness with respect to lateral and axial applied forces. Furthermore, we detected empirically additional effects relating sheath stiffness to material parameters and added to recent investigations in the state of the art, which are based exclusively on material roughness. Finally, we integrated the selected layer jamming material in a miniaturized sheath (13 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm wall thickness) and covered a tendon-actuated continuum robot with it. Experimental characterization of the behavior with respect to applied external forces was performed via stiffness measurements and proved that the initial tendon-actuated continuum robot stiffness can be improved by a factor up to 24.
AB - Added to their high dexterity and ability to conform to complex shapes, continuum robots can be further improved to provide safer interaction with their environment. Indeed, controlling their stiffness is one of the most challenging yet promising research topics. We propose a tubular stiffening sheath as a replaceable cover for small-diameter continuum robots to temporarily increase the stiffness in a certain configuration. In this article, we assess and compare performances of two different stiffening modalities: Granular and layer jamming, provide arguments for material selection and experimental results for stiffness with respect to lateral and axial applied forces. Furthermore, we detected empirically additional effects relating sheath stiffness to material parameters and added to recent investigations in the state of the art, which are based exclusively on material roughness. Finally, we integrated the selected layer jamming material in a miniaturized sheath (13 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm wall thickness) and covered a tendon-actuated continuum robot with it. Experimental characterization of the behavior with respect to applied external forces was performed via stiffness measurements and proved that the initial tendon-actuated continuum robot stiffness can be improved by a factor up to 24.
KW - bioresorbable granule
KW - layer jamming
KW - reversible stiffness
KW - structural stiffening
KW - tubular sheath
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048360997&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/soro.2017.0060
DO - 10.1089/soro.2017.0060
M3 - Article
C2 - 29498586
AN - SCOPUS:85048360997
VL - 5
SP - 291
EP - 303
JO - Soft robotics
JF - Soft robotics
SN - 2169-5172
IS - 3
ER -