Pint of Postdoc Speaker Recap - Dr. Gaurav Singh

“Modelling and Design of fluidic actuators for soft robotics”

Dr. Gaurav Singh

Edited by:

Jennifer Blackburn (assisted by Aileen Fernandez)

Abstract:

Soft robotics is an emerging branch of robotics where the objective is to make robot structures soft and compliant. These robots trade accuracy and load-bearing ability with adaptability and safety. Such robots require soft actuators to generate force and/or motion. Fiber reinforced pneumatic actuators are an example of soft actuators that are commonly used. These actuators have the advantages of simple fabrication, high power to weight ratio, and an ability to produce a variety of deformation behavior. Fiber Reinforced Elastomeric Enclosures, abbreviated as FREEs, are an embodiment of fiber reinforced actuators that have two sets of inextensible fibers bonded on to an elastomeric tube. The orientation of these fibers determines the deformation behavior of FREEs, which include contraction, extension, rotation, bending, and spiral motion.

For our October 2020 Pint of Postdoc series, Gaurav Singh talked about the mathematical modeling of FREEs and its use in designing soft robots. First, he presented a mathematical model that draws parallels with inflatables to solve a volume maximization problem, determining the deformation behavior of FREEs. Next, he presented a method where a FREE is designed to match the shape of any desired curve upon actuation. This design method is then used on actuators with two different applications: a self-knotting actuator and a pipe climbing soft robot. The former can potentially be used in active tethering of drones and automated suturing in surgery while the latter mimics the locomotion gait of an inchworm and can be used for pipe inspection and maintenance in nuclear, oil, and gas pipelines