Brief Description of Design Project Goals:
Overview:
Soft robots have recently gained a lot of interest because of their potential applications in safe human-robot interaction, versatile manipulation abilities, and robust operation in unstructured environments. Many of the current techniques however, are limited by the need for bulky compressors or pumps to move fluid around in the flexible chambers. We have developed a soft actuator composed of an inflated hyperelastic membrane which can be expanded to one of two stable states without the need for this bulky payload. Next, we wish to show the use of such an actuator in light-weight, inexpensive, and simple robots.
Specific MEng Contribution:
The students will design and produce several robot demonstrators, including an inch worm, a walking robot, and a manipulator. These will all be designed from a combination of folded cardboard and the inflated DEA actuator. This project will involve a lot of prototyping, laser cutting, and high voltage operation (guidance will be given regarding the latter). Each prototype will be thoroughly characterized with respect to actuation speed and force. Weekly meetings will be held to ensure project progress.
ECE Field Advisor Name:
- Email – kirstin@cornell.edu
- Phone – 607-255-9335
- Office - RH324
Project Web Site:
http://cei.ece.cornell.edu/research-2/soft-robot-actuators/
Number of MEng Students Needed:
2
Required Skills:
Smart, motivated, and creative students interested in robotics and practical implementations. Students must have experience in Solidworks CAD design software, Matlab, and rapid prototyping. Experience with mechatronics, fluid dynamics, polymers, or molding and casting would be beneficial.
Estimated Project Time Frame:
2017 Academic Year, One (1) Semester