Soft Robotics Mimic Human Muscle Function
|
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 27 Oct 2016 |
|
Image: Soft robots can be spatially manipulated using air pressure (Photo courtesy of EPFL).
Innovative reconfigurable robots powered by muscle-like actuators could be used in assistive wearable devices for physical rehabilitation.
Under development at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Switzerland), the actuator prototypes include both linear and bending actuators with varying geometric parameters that can be used in diverse soft robotic systems for a wide set of assistive wearable technologies, including replicating the motion of several parts of the human body. The soft robots are made of elastomers such as silicon and rubber, and are controlled by changing air pressure in specially designed compartments, or modules, which also serve as the robot’s body.
The cucumber-shaped actuators can stretch up to around five or six times their normal length and bend in two directions, depending on the model. The soft robots are designed for use on the human body, with potential implementations including a wide variety of bioinspired and biomimetic systems, such as devices to assist gripping and manipulation of fragile objects. For example, one of the designs is a belt made of several inflatable components, which holds patients upright during rehabilitation exercises and guides their movements. A study describing the soft robotics was published on September 27, 2016, in Nature - Scientific Reports.
“Our robot designs focus largely on safety. There’s very little risk of getting hurt if you're wearing an exoskeleton made up of soft materials, for example,” said Professor Jamie Paik, PhD, director of the EPFL Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL). “Using soft actuators, we can come up with robots of various shapes that can move around in diverse environments. They are made of inexpensive materials, and so they could easily be produced on a large scale. This will open new doors in the field of robotics.”
“We conducted numerous simulations and developed a model for predicting how the actuators deform as a function of their shape, thickness, and the materials they’re made of,” said lead author Gunjan Agarwal, PhD. “Elastomer structures are highly resilient but difficult to control. We need to be able to predict how, and in which direction, they deform. And because these soft robots are easy to produce but difficult to model, our step-by-step design tools are now available online for roboticists and students.”
Related Links:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Under development at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Switzerland), the actuator prototypes include both linear and bending actuators with varying geometric parameters that can be used in diverse soft robotic systems for a wide set of assistive wearable technologies, including replicating the motion of several parts of the human body. The soft robots are made of elastomers such as silicon and rubber, and are controlled by changing air pressure in specially designed compartments, or modules, which also serve as the robot’s body.
The cucumber-shaped actuators can stretch up to around five or six times their normal length and bend in two directions, depending on the model. The soft robots are designed for use on the human body, with potential implementations including a wide variety of bioinspired and biomimetic systems, such as devices to assist gripping and manipulation of fragile objects. For example, one of the designs is a belt made of several inflatable components, which holds patients upright during rehabilitation exercises and guides their movements. A study describing the soft robotics was published on September 27, 2016, in Nature - Scientific Reports.
“Our robot designs focus largely on safety. There’s very little risk of getting hurt if you're wearing an exoskeleton made up of soft materials, for example,” said Professor Jamie Paik, PhD, director of the EPFL Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL). “Using soft actuators, we can come up with robots of various shapes that can move around in diverse environments. They are made of inexpensive materials, and so they could easily be produced on a large scale. This will open new doors in the field of robotics.”
“We conducted numerous simulations and developed a model for predicting how the actuators deform as a function of their shape, thickness, and the materials they’re made of,” said lead author Gunjan Agarwal, PhD. “Elastomer structures are highly resilient but difficult to control. We need to be able to predict how, and in which direction, they deform. And because these soft robots are easy to produce but difficult to model, our step-by-step design tools are now available online for roboticists and students.”
Related Links:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
New
Gold Member
Neonatal Heel Incision Device
Tenderfoot
New
Medical Adhesive
MED 5570U
New
X-Ray Generator
Advantage Plus Generators
Channels
Artificial Intelligence
view channel
Machine Learning Approach Enhances Liver Cancer Risk Stratification
Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer, is often detected late despite targeted surveillance programs. Current screening guidelines emphasize patients with known cirrhosis,... Read more
New AI Approach Monitors Brain Health Using Passive Wearable Data
Brain health spans cognitive and emotional functions and can fluctuate even in adults without diagnosed disease. Detecting early changes remains difficult in routine care and burdens specialty services... Read more
Critical Care
view channel
Automated IV Labeling Solution Improves Infusion Safety and Efficiency
Medication administration in high-acuity settings is often complicated by multiple concurrent infusions, making accurate line identification essential. In a 10-hospital intensive care unit study, 60% of... Read more
First-Of-Its-Kind AI Tool Detects Pulmonary Hypertension from Standard ECGs
Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive, life‑threatening disease that is frequently missed early because symptoms such as dyspnea are nonspecific and diagnostic delays can exceed two years.... Read more
Surgical Techniques
view channel
Continuous Monitoring with Wearables Enhances Postoperative Patient Safety
Postoperative hypoxemia on general surgical wards is common and often missed by intermittent vital sign checks. Undetected low oxygen levels can delay recovery and raise the risk of complications that... Read more
New Approach Enables Customized Muscle Tissue Without Biomaterial Scaffolds
Volumetric muscle loss is a traumatic loss of skeletal muscle that often leads to permanent functional impairment and limited reconstructive options. Current experimental strategies struggle to deliver... Read more
Patient Care
view channel
Wearable Sleep Data Predict Adherence to Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term lung disorder that makes breathing difficult and often disturbs sleep, reducing energy for daily activities. Limited engagement in pulmonary... Read more
Revolutionary Automatic IV-Line Flushing Device to Enhance Infusion Care
More than 80% of in-hospital patients receive intravenous (IV) therapy. Every dose of IV medicine delivered in a small volume (<250 mL) infusion bag should be followed by subsequent flushing to ensure... Read more
Business
view channel
GE HealthCare Leads Major European Initiative to Advance Cardio-Oncology Care
Cardiovascular complications are increasingly recognized among people undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment, driven by pre‑existing disease and the cardiotoxic effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy,... Read more
