Related papers: Parallel, Modular Fabric Actuators for a 2-DOF Pne…
Effective force modulation during tissue manipulation is important for ensuring safe robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS). Strict requirements for in-vivo distal force sensing have led to prior sensor designs that trade off ease…
Skeletal muscle-based biohybrid actuators have proved to be a promising component in soft robotics, offering efficient movement. However, their intrinsic biological variability and nonlinearity pose significant challenges for…
Soft robots offer an alternative approach to manipulate inside the constrained space while maintaining the safe interaction with the external environment. Due to its adaptable compliance characteristic, external contact force can easily…
Soft robotic actuators can simplify the design of controllers when operating in contact-rich environments. Importantly, their passive compliance fundamentally alters contact mechanics by smoothing impacts and distributing forces over large…
Wheel-legged robots combine the efficiency of wheeled locomotion with the versatility of legged systems, enabling rapid traversal over both continuous and discrete terrains. However, conventional designs typically employ fixed wheels as…
We propose a novel multi-section cable-driven soft robotic arm inspired by octopus tentacles along with a new modeling approach. Each section of the modular manipulator is made of a soft tubing backbone, a soft silicon arm body, and two…
Robotic systems driven by conventional motors often suffer from challenges such as large mass, complex control algorithms, and the need for additional braking mechanisms, which limit their applications in lightweight and compact robotic…
Rigid robots can be precise in repetitive tasks, but struggle in unstructured environments. Nature's versatility in such environments inspires researchers to develop biomimetic robots that incorporate compliant and contracting artificial…
Wrist function is essential in performing activities of daily living (ADLs). However, there is limited experimental evidence on the functional impact of wrist Abduction-Adduction (Ab-Ad) joint assistance in upper limb exoskeletons (ULEs)…
Parallel kinematic mechanisms are interesting alternative designs for machining applications. Three 2-DOF parallel mechanism architectures dedicated to machining applications are studied in this paper. The three mechanisms have two constant…
Heavy-duty operations, typically performed using heavy-duty hydraulic manipulators (HHMs), are susceptible to environmental contact due to tracking errors or sudden environmental changes. Therefore, beyond precise control design, it is…
Quadruped robots are usually equipped with additional arms for manipulation, negatively impacting price and weight. On the other hand, the requirements of legged locomotion mean that the legs of such robots often possess the needed torque…
Wearable robots are limited by their actuators performances because they must bear the weight of their own power system and energy source. This paper explores the idea of leveraging hybrid modes to meet multiple operating points with a…
We present a novel algorithm for collision-free kinematics of multiple manipulators in a shared workspace with moving obstacles. Our optimization-based approach simultaneously handles collision-free constraints based on reciprocal velocity…
Inspired by the dexterous handling ability of an elephant's trunk, we propose a pneumatic actuator that generates diverse bending and extension motions in a flexible arm. The actuator consists of two flexible tubes. Each flexible tube is…
Configurable robots are made up of robotic modules that can be assembled or can configure themselves into multiple robot configurations. In this research plan, a method for upper-body rehabilitation will be discussed in the form of a…
This manuscript presents control of a high-DOF fully actuated lower-limb exoskeleton for paraplegic individuals. The key novelty is the ability for the user to walk without the use of crutches or other external means of stabilization. We…
Series Elastic Actuators provide many benefits in force control of robots in unconstrained environments. These benefits include high force fidelity, extremely low impedance, low friction, and good force control bandwidth. Series Elastic…
The aim of this work is to improve musculoskeletal-based models of the upper-limb Wrench Feasible Set i.e. the set of achievable maximal wrenches at the hand for applications in collaborative robotics and computer aided ergonomics. In…
Soft robotic actuators are safe and adaptable devices with inherent compliance, which makes them attractive for manipulating delicate and complex objects. Researchers have integrated stiff materials into soft actuators to increase their…