Related papers: Modeling and parametric optimization of 3D tendon-…
Flexible tendon sheath mechanism is commonly used in NOTES systems because it offers high flexibility, light weight, and easy transmission. Due to the size constraints and sterilization problems, traditional sensors like force/torque sensor…
The use of a cable-driven soft exosuit poses challenges with regards to the mechanical design of the actuation system, particularly when used for actuation along multiple degrees of freedom (DoF). The simplest general solution requires the…
This paper presents the design and assessment of a fabric-based soft pneumatic actuator with low pressurization requirements for actuation making it suitable for upper extremity assistive devices for infants. The goal is to support shoulder…
Wearable devices like exoskeletons are designed to reduce excessive loads on specific joints of the body. Specifically, single- or two-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) upper-body industrial exoskeletons typically focus on compensating for the…
Patient transfer devices allow to move patients passively in hospitals and care centers. Instead of hoisting the patient, it would be beneficial in some cases to assist their movement, enabling them to move by themselves. However, patient…
Tendon-driven robotic hands offer unparalleled dexterity for manipulation tasks, but learning control policies for such systems presents unique challenges. Unlike joint-actuated robotic hands, tendon-driven systems lack a direct one-to-one…
Portable pneumatic systems for 2 degree-of-freedom (DOF) soft shoulder exosuits remain underexplored, and face fundamental trade-offs between torque output and dynamic response that are further compounded by the need for multiple actuators…
This work tackles practical issues which arise when using a tendon-driven robotic manipulator (TDRM) with a long, flexible, passive proximal section in medical applications. Tendon-driven devices are preferred in medicine for their improved…
Operating robots precisely and at high speeds has been a long-standing goal of robotics research. Balancing these competing demands is key to enabling the seamless collaboration of robots and humans and increasing task performance. However,…
Untethered soft robots that locomote using electrothermally-responsive materials like shape memory alloy (SMA) face challenging design constraints for sensing actuator states. At the same time, modeling of actuator behaviors faces steep…
Soft elastic composite materials containing particulate rigid inclusions in a soft elastic matrix are candidates for developing soft actuators or tunable damping devices. The possibility to reversibly drive the rigid inclusions within such…
This paper presents a novel, modular, cable-driven soft robotic arm featuring multi-segment reconfigurability. The proposed architecture enables a stackable system with independent segment control, allowing scalable adaptation to diverse…
Tendon-driven robotic catheters are capable of precise execution of minimally invasive cardiac procedures including ablations and imaging. These procedures require accurate mathematical models of not only the catheter and tendons but also…
While its biological significance is well-documented, its application in soft robotics, particularly for the transport of fragile and irregularly shaped objects, remains underexplored. This study presents a modular soft robotic actuator…
Tendon-driven mechanisms are useful from the perspectives of variable stiffness, redundant actuation, and lightweight design, and they are widely used, particularly in hands, wrists, and waists of robots. The design of these wire…
Tendon-driven snake-like arms have been used to create highly dexterous continuum robots so that they can bend around anatomical obstacles to access clinical targets. In this paper, we propose a design algorithm for developing…
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…
Adapting upper-limb impedance (i.e., stiffness, damping, inertia) is essential for humans interacting with dynamic environments for executing grasping or manipulation tasks. On the other hand, control methods designed for state-of-the-art…
This paper describes a method for steering deformable linear objects using two robot hands in environments populated by sparsely spaced obstacles. The approach involves manipulating an elastic inextensible rod by varying the gripping…
This paper presents design and control innovations of wearable robots that tackle two barriers to widespread adoption of powered exoskeletons, namely restriction of human movement and versatile control of wearable co-robot systems. First,…