Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING
Volume 14, Issue 8, Pages 1439-1445Publisher
KOREAN SOC PRECISION ENG
DOI: 10.1007/s12541-013-0194-8
Keywords
Soft robotics; Deformable wheel; Morphing structure; Shape memory alloy; Smart composite
Funding
- Research Center Programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology [2010-0001201]
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Soft robotics, a concept contrary to conventional hard robotics, is a robot design methodology that uses soft materials inspired by nature. In contrast to a hard robot, a soft robot is composed of soft and flexible materials that blur the distinction between an actuator and a structure, which leads to unique characteristics that cannot be found in a conventional hard robot. This paper presents our approach to the issues that arise when the concept of soft robotics is applied to a wheeled robot. The compliance of the wheel diversifies its potential movement and allows for a high degree of adaptability to the environment. Although the wheel radius of the robot is 50 mm, it can pass through a 30 mm gap and climb a 45 mm step. While soft robotics displays properties whose performance can be challenging to implement, it also enables us to create complex forms of movement in a cheaper and simpler way. We expect that this kind of approach can provide a new design method for a deformable wheel.
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