Hybrid Soft-Rigid Robots: Investigating Series and Parallel Configurations
Name
sologuren-esolo-meng-eecs-2024-thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
17.17 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
29b63e1f94c224043738c002043d6d5a
Author(s)
Sologuren, Emily R.
Advisor(s)
Rus, Daniela
Date Issued
May 2024
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The diverse set of traits that soft-rigid robots possess have the potential to be applied towards a multitude of applications that require both strength and flexibility. This thesis looks at two kinds of soft-rigid robotic systems: the first is a series assembly of soft-rigid modules with stiffness modulation to form a soft-rigid robotic arm, and the second system is a parallel assembly of rigid bones casted into silicone to form a passive soft-rigid flipper for a robotic sea turtle. We first introduce a new class of soft-rigid modules that can modulate their stiffness on a continuum through tendon-driven actuation and the integration of "soft" and "rigid" components. Their serial assembly form a self-standing, soft-rigid robotic arm (SRRA). When coupled with an adapted soft PD+ controller, we generate trajectories that demonstrate the manipulator’s ability to deform for maneuvering tasks and stiffen for load-bearing tasks. The robotic sea turtle’s parallel, soft-rigid flippers emulate those of its animal counterpart. To leverage this structure for underwater locomotion, we look at a CPG-coupled reinforcement learning framework to optimize for a forward swimming gait.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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