2021 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Mechanics of Morphological Compensation, and its Application to Sensing and Control of Soft Robots
| Project/Area Number |
21H01287
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| Research Institution | Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
Ho Anhvan 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 准教授 (60757508)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
渋谷 恒司 龍谷大学, 先端理工学部, 教授 (20287973)
高村 禅 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 教授 (20290877)
都 英次郎 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 准教授 (70443231)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | Soft sensing / Morphology / Compensation / Whiskered sensor / Wrinkled sensor / Corona discharge / Micro pattern |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the first year, overall, research hypothesis has been intensively proposed and elaborated for finding out suitable showcases for investigating the morphological compensation ability in soft sensing systems:
1) Ho has proposed a morphological compensation strategy for a soft whisker sensor upon being trimmed partly. By suitably changing the inner pressure of the embedded chamber, the sensitivity of relative contact location along the whisker body can be compensated. Also, a genetic algorithm-based optimization has been conducted to find out the suitable structure of the whisker for maximizing compensation ability. In addition, several interactive models on SOFA platforms have been built toward construction of topological change-allowed program, such as simulation of an inflated balloon or barrel-shape soft sensing system.
2) Shibuya and Ho have investigated design feasibility of several soft tactile sensing systems that can change their morphology, such as wrinkle-based (WR) and magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based soft interfaces. Here, by changing the inner pressure (WR) or magnetic field (MR), the shape and stiffness can be recognized, leading to change in the output of the embedded sensing elements. Such systems are suitable for further investigation of morphological compensation.
3) Miyako and Ho investigated an initial idea on a novel actuation system using corona-discharge phenomenon, which ignites movement of bio-materials in the air. Takamura and Ho also focused on fabrication of micro-patterned structures that enhances the tribological properties of soft structures.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
In the first year, overall, the project has progressed as planned. Reasons can be found below:
1) The proposal of a morphological compensation strategy for the sensorized whisker is significant. Even though the investigation was limited to the static sensation of the the contact location, it can be extended to dynamic responses, such as in texture exploration tasks. Also, the morphological optimization method proposed in this research can be applied to design of other soft sensing systems as well. To best of our knowledge, this is the first time such compensation method has been proposed in the literature. Based on this findings, more significant elaboration can be expected in the future work.
2) Interactive models built in SOFA platform allow elaboration of soft sensing system's mechanical response under interaction with the surrounding environment. From these models, contact force, deformation, and related information can be extracted in a dynamic regime with low computation time. These results can be widely utilized in planned work on interaction of topological change model.
3) Several shape-changing sensing systems have been proposed and experimentally investigated. We confirmed simple methods for changing shape/stiffness of such devices, and also elaborated possible effect of this changes to the sensing ability. This is the first step toward implementation of the morphological compensation strategy on these systems in the future work.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In the second year of the project, we plan to tackle the following issues:
1) Continue construction of the SOFA-based program for conducting dynamic simulation of a model of soft body embedded with specific sensing elements under critical topology changes as started in the first year. In addition, we plan to combine SOFA and Unity for increasing the interaction between two platforms.
2) Design of a mechanism that allows changing local morphology of the soft body around the embedded sensor can be proposed. Shibuya and Ho will continue developing novel tactile sensing system that can change morphology upon actuation. Then, we will investigate how the system would change when it is partially damaged, from which the dynamics of the sensing response will be elaborated for proposal of compensation strategy. The new type of actuating system, Corona-discharge phenomenon, for realization of totally novel moving system in space and micro patterns for facilitating sensing perception of soft structure will be focused as well.
3) Continue the evaluation of the simulation results and experimental results on a specific case proposed in 2). Based on the whisker sensory system proposed in the first year, which can actively change the morphology of the integrated chamber (embedded with strain gauge) to adapt to the critical change (being trimmed, broken) during interaction with environment, we will extend the design to the structure of spider leg for verification several biological hypothesis, for example the adaptivity of the newly grown leg in locomotion task.
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Research Products
(9 results)
