Follow-the-leader (FTL) motion is essential for continuum robots operating in fragile and confined environments. It allows the robot to exert minimal force on its surroundings, reducing the risk of damage. This paper presents a novel design of a snake-like robot capable of achieving FTL motion by integrating fiber jamming modules (FJMs). The proposed robot can dynamically adjust its stiffness during propagation and interaction with the environment. An algorithm is developed to independently control the tendon and FJM insertion movements, allowing the robot to maintain its shape while minimizing the forces exerted on surrounding structures. To validate the proposed design, comparative tests were conducted between a traditional tendon-driven robot and the novel design under different configurations. The results demonstrate that our design relies significantly less on contact with the surroundings to maintain its shape. This highlights its potential for safer and more effective operations in delicate environments, such as minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or industrial in-situ inspection.
Modeling, control, and stiffness regulation of layer jamming-based continuum robots
Department of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal and GERAD（电气工程系，蒙特利尔理工学院及GERAD）；Robotics Institute, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney（机器人研究所，工程与信息技术学院，技术学院悉尼大学）
The purpose of this research is to design, fabricate and test a tendon driven a continuum soft robot with three modular segments, each of which has a tunable stiffness enabled by layer jamming technology. Compared with previous studies, the robotic arm design of this project has a modular structure, which means the length of the robotic arm can be adjusted by addition of extra arm modules/segments to the existing robotic prototype. Furthermore, the new arm prototype supports motion within a 3-dimensional space. To achieve the goals, the design and fabrication for the variable stiffness robotic…
A Novel Robotic Variable Stiffness Mechanism Based on Helically Wound Structured Electrostatic Layer Jamming
ShanghaiTech University（上海科技大学）；School of Information Science and Technology（信息科学与技术学院）；ShanghaiTech Automation and Robotics (STAR) Center（上海科技大学自动化与机器人中心）
An Experimental Characterization of Mechanical Layer Jamming Systems
Centre for Robotics（机器人中心）；School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics（电气工程与机器人学学院）；Queensland University of Technology（昆士兰理工大学）；CSIRO Robotics（CSIRO机器人部）；Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)（澳大利亚联邦科学工业研究组织（CSIRO））
Tohoku University（东北大学）；Graduate school of Information Sciences, Tohoku University（东北大学信息科学研究科）
Able to grasp objects of any shape and size, universal grippers using variable stiffness phenomenon such as granular jamming have been developed for disaster robotics application. However, as their contact interface is mainly composed of unrigid and burnable silicone rubber, conventional soft grippers are not applicable to objects with sharp sections such as broken valves and glass fragments, especially on fire. In this research, the authors proposed a new method of variable stiffness mechanism using a string of beads that can be composed of cut-resistant and incombustible metals, arrange the …
VSTaI: Design and Characterization of Variable-Stiffness Tactile Interfaces Based on 3D-Printed Structured Fabrics
Duke-NUS Medical School（杜克-新加坡国立大学医学院）；College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore（新加坡国立大学设计与工程学院）；Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore（新加坡国立大学力学生物学研究所）；Imperial College（帝国理工学院）
Inflated continuum robots are promising for a variety of navigation tasks, but controlling their motion with a small number of actuators is challenging. These inflated beam robots tend to buckle under compressive loads, producing extremely tight local curvature at difficult-to-control buckle point locations. In this paper, we present an inflated beam robot that uses distributed stiffness changing sections enabled by positive pressure layer jamming to control or prevent buckling. Passive valves are actuated by an electromagnet carried by an electromechanical device that travels inside the main …
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology（香港科技大学）；Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology（南京信息工程大学）
Soft modular robots enable more flexibility and safer interaction with the changing environment than traditional robots. However, it has remained challenging to create deformable connectors that can be integrated into soft machines. In this work, we propose a flexible connector for soft modular robots based on micropatterned intersurface jamming. The connector is composed of micropatterned dry adhesives made by silicone rubber and a flexible main body with inflatable chambers for active engagement and disengagement. Through connection force tests, we evaluate the characteristics of the connect…
Robotics and Autonomous System Group, Data61, CSIRO（澳大利亚联邦科学与工业研究组织Data61机器人自主系统组）；School of Mechanical and Mining, University of Queensland（昆士兰大学机械与采矿学院）；Computational Modelling Group, Data61, CSIRO（澳大利亚联邦科学与工业研究组织Data61计算建模组）
Granular jamming is a popular soft actuation mechanism that provides high stiffness variability with minimum volume variation. Jamming is particularly interesting from a design perspective, as a myriad of design parameters can potentially be exploited to induce a diverse variety of useful behaviours. To date, grain shape has been largely ignored. Here, we focus on the use of 3D printing to expose design variables related to grain shape and size. Grains are represented by parameterised superquadrics (superellipsoids); four diverse shapes are investigated along with three size variations. Grains…
Beihang University（北京航空航天大学）；National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids（国家康复辅具研究中心）
Stiffness variation and real-time position feedback are critical for any robotic system but most importantly for active and wearable devices to interact with the user and environment. Currently, for compact sizes, there is a lack of solutions bringing high-fidelity feedback and maintaining design and functional integrity. In this work, we propose a novel minimal clutch with integrated stiffness variation and real-time position feedback whose performance surpasses conventional jamming solutions. We introduce integrated design, modeling, and verification of the clutch in detail. Preliminary expe…
A Reconfigurable Pneumatic Joint Enabling Localized Selective Stiffening and Shape Locking in Vine-Inspired Robots
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kadir Has University（电子与电子工程系，卡迪尔·哈斯大学）；Department of Computer Engineering, Kadir Has University（计算机工程系，卡迪尔·哈斯大学）；Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Istanbul Bilgi University（机械电子工程系，伊斯坦布尔比尔吉大学）
