Related papers: High-Frequency Capacitive Sensing for Electrohydra…
Haptic devices have shown to be valuable in supplementing surgical training, especially when providing haptic feedback based on user performance metrics such as wrench applied by the user on the tool. However, current 6-axis force/torque…
Aging populations and the rising prevalence of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders increase the demand for wearable mobility assistive devices that are effective, comfortable, and anatomically compatible. Many existing systems use…
With the advent of smartphones, there has been a recent increase in the use of capacitive touch sensing for various Human Machine Interfaces (HMI). Capacitive-based touch sensing provides higher flexibility and cost-effectiveness than,…
There is a growing need for soft robotic platforms that perform gentle, precise handling of a wide variety of objects. Existing surface-based manipulation systems, however, lack the compliance and tactile feedback needed for delicate…
Electrostatic actuators provide a promising approach to creating soft robotic sheets, due to their flexible form factor, modular integration, and fast response speed. However, their control requires kilo-Volt signals and understanding of…
The research aims to expand tactile feedback beyond vibrations to various modes of stimuli, such as indentation, vibration, among others. By incorporating soft material into the design of a novel tactile actuator, we can achieve…
A challenge to high quality virtual reality (VR) simulations is the development of high-fidelity haptic devices that can render a wide range of impedances at both low and high frequencies. To this end, a thorough analytical and experimental…
Hydrogel-based soft actuators can operate in sensitive environments, bridging the gap of rigid machines interacting with soft matter. However, while stimuli-responsive hydrogels can undergo extreme reversible volume changes of up to ~90%,…
Nonlinear dynamics of a two-side electro-statically actuated capacitive micro-beam is studied. The piezoelectric actuation leads to the generation of an axial force along the length of the micro-beam and this is used as a tuning tool to…
Wrist-worn haptic interfaces can deliver a wide range of tactile cues for communication of information and interaction with virtual objects. Unlike fingertips, the wrist and forearm provide a considerably large area of skin that allows the…
We present an advance in wearable technology: a mobile-optimized, real-time, ultra-low-power event camera system that enables natural hand gesture control for smart glasses, dramatically improving user experience. While hand gesture…
Contact-free detection of human vital signs like heart rate and respiration rate will improve the patients' comfort and enables long-term monitoring of newborns or bedridden patients. For that, reliable and safe measurement techniques are…
We describe a fluidic actuator design that replaces the sealed chamber of a hydraulic cylinder using a soft actuator to provide compliant linear compression with a large force ($\geq$100 N) at a low operation pressure ($\leq$50 kPa) for a…
An underdeveloped capability in soft robotics is proprioceptive feedback control, where soft actuators can be sensed and controlled using only sensors on the robot's body. Additionally, soft actuators are often unable to support human-scale…
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…
Soft actuators that respond to external stimuli play a fundamental role in microscale robotics, active matter, and bio-inspired systems. Among these actuators, photo-thermal hybrid microgels (HMGs) containing plasmonic nanoparticles enable…
In this work, we propose a high-voltage, high-frequency control circuit for the untethered applications of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). The circuit board leverages low-voltage resistive components connected in series to control…
In assistive robots, compliant actuator is a key component in establishing safe and satisfactory physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). The performance of compliant actuators largely depends on the stiffness of the elastic element.…
Robotic manipulation can benefit from wrist-mounted force/torque (F/T) sensors, but conventional F/T sensors can be expensive, difficult to install, and damaged by high loads. We present Visual Force/Torque Sensing (VFTS), a method that…
We firstly demonstrate physically-prepared compliant PVA hydrogel electrodes as a promising supplement in dielectric elastomer actuators. They are capable of conducting high voltages over 5 kV without electrolysis by an electrical double…