26 July 2024 | Xi Wang, Siqian Li, Jung-Che Chang, Jing Liu, Dragos Axinte & Xin Dong
This paper presents the development of Thin Soft Robots (TS-Robots) designed for exploring narrow spaces and performing multimodal locomotion in built environments. The TS-Robots, with a thickness of 17 mm, are equipped with a dual-actuation sandwich structure driven by dielectric elastomers (DEAs), enabling them to perform linear and undulating gaits. The robots can crawl, climb, swim, and transition between solid and liquid domains. The design includes a Thin Soft Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (TS-DEA) and Electrostatic Adhesive Pads (EA-Pads) for anchoring and locomotion. The TS-DEA can be tuned to have a zero or negative Poisson's ratio, allowing for anisotropic motion. The robots demonstrate high output force and speed, making them suitable for navigating challenging environments. The paper also explores the collaboration of multiple TS-Robots for complex tasks, such as transitioning between surfaces and manipulating objects. The TS-Robots show potential for applications in industrial inspections, security surveys, and hazardous environment access.This paper presents the development of Thin Soft Robots (TS-Robots) designed for exploring narrow spaces and performing multimodal locomotion in built environments. The TS-Robots, with a thickness of 17 mm, are equipped with a dual-actuation sandwich structure driven by dielectric elastomers (DEAs), enabling them to perform linear and undulating gaits. The robots can crawl, climb, swim, and transition between solid and liquid domains. The design includes a Thin Soft Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (TS-DEA) and Electrostatic Adhesive Pads (EA-Pads) for anchoring and locomotion. The TS-DEA can be tuned to have a zero or negative Poisson's ratio, allowing for anisotropic motion. The robots demonstrate high output force and speed, making them suitable for navigating challenging environments. The paper also explores the collaboration of multiple TS-Robots for complex tasks, such as transitioning between surfaces and manipulating objects. The TS-Robots show potential for applications in industrial inspections, security surveys, and hazardous environment access.