Mass Manufacturing of Self-Actuating Robots: Integrating Sensors and Actuators Using Flexible Electronics
Name
2018-Dementyev-IROS-robots.pdf
Description
Accepted version
Size
1.56 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
14a451b9962956ae8d6664f333016374
Author(s)
Dementyev, Artem
Qi, Jie
Ou, Jifei
Paradiso, Joseph A
Date Issued
October 2018
Journal
IEEE/RSJ International Workshop on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Citation
Dementyev, Artem, Jie Qi, Jifei Ou, and Joseph Paradiso. "Mass Manufacturing of Self-Actuating Robots: Integrating Sensors and Actuators Using Flexible Electronics." In Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Workshop on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), October 1-5, 2018, Madrid, Spain, Madrid Municipal Conference Centre. © 2018 IEEE.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Currently, the manufacturing of self-actuating and self-sensing robots requires non-standard manufacturing techniques and assembly steps to integrate electrical and mechanical systems. In this work, we developed a novel manufacturing technique, where such robots can be produced at a flexible electronics factory. We developed the technique using standard industrial machines, processes, and materials. Using a lamination process, we were able to integrate air pouches or shape memory alloy (SMA) inside a polyamide-based flexible circuit to produce bending actuators. The bend angle of the actuators is sensed with a chain of inertial measurement units integrated on the actuator. Air-pouch actuators can produce a force of a 2.24N, and a maximum bend angle of 74 degrees. To demonstrate, we manufactured a five-legged robot with the developed actuators and bend sensors, with all the supporting electronics (e.g., microcontrollers, radio) directly integrated into the flexible printed circuit. Such robots are flat and lightweight (15 grams) and thus conveniently compact for transportation and storage. We believe that our technique can allow inexpensive and fast prototyping and deployment of self-actuating and self-sensing robots.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2018.8593631
