Bio-inspired design of soft mechanisms using a toroidal hydrostat

Samuel E. Root; Daniel J. Preston; Gideon O. Feifke; Hunter Wallace; Renz Marion Alcoran; Markus P. Nemitz; Jovanna A. Tracz; George M. Whitesides

Cell Reports Physical Science (Sep 2021)

Bio-inspired design of soft mechanisms using a toroidal hydrostat

Samuel E. Root,
Daniel J. Preston,
Gideon O. Feifke,
Hunter Wallace,
Renz Marion Alcoran,
Markus P. Nemitz,
Jovanna A. Tracz,
George M. Whitesides

Affiliations

Samuel E. Root: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Daniel J. Preston: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Gideon O. Feifke: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Hunter Wallace: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Renz Marion Alcoran: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Markus P. Nemitz: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Jovanna A. Tracz: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
George M. Whitesides: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2, no. 9
p. 100572

Abstract

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Summary: Biology is replete with soft mechanisms of potential use for robotics. Here, we report that a soft, toroidal hydrostat can be used to perform three functions found in both living and engineered systems: gripping, catching, and conveying. We demonstrate a gripping mechanism that uses a tubular inversion to encapsulate objects within a crumpled elastic membrane under hydrostatic pressure. This mechanism produces gripping forces that depend predictably upon the geometric and materials properties of the system. We next demonstrate a catching mechanism akin to that of a chameleon’s tongue: the elasticity of the membrane is used to power a catapulting inversion process (≈400 m/s2) to capture flying objects (e.g., a bouncing ball). Finally, we demonstrate a conveying mechanism that passes objects through the center of the toroidal tube (∼1 cm/s) using a continuous inversion-eversion process. The hybrid hard-soft mechanisms presented here can be applied toward the integration of soft functionality into robotic systems.

Published in Cell Reports Physical Science

ISSN: 2666-3864 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science

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