DARPA2012.8.16---軟機器人

DARPA2012.8.16---軟機器人
Harvard University researchers working under DARPA's Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) program recently demonstrated the ability to manufacture low-cost silicone robots with microfluidic channels that allow for air and fluids to be pumped in to control movement, color and temperature. In this video, a soft robot walks onto a bed of rocks and is filled with fluid to match the color of the rocks and break up the robot's shape. The robot moves at a speed of approximately 40 meters per hour; absent the colored fluid, it can move at approximately 67 meters per hour. Future research will be directed at smoothing the movements; however, speed is less important than the robot's flexibility. Soft robots are useful because they are resilient and can maneuver through very constrained spaces. For this demonstration, the researchers used tethers to attach the control system and to pump pressurized gases and liquids into the robot. Tethered operation reduces the size and weight of such robots by leaving power sources and pumps off-board, but future prototypes could incorporate that equipment in a self-contained system. At a pumping rate of 2.25 mL per minute, color change in the robot required 30 seconds. Once filled, the color layers require no power to sustain the color.
DARPA的最大機動性和操縱下工作的哈佛大學的研究人員（M3）計劃最近展示了製造微流體通道，讓空氣和流體運動，顏色和溫度控制來抽低成本矽機器人的能力。在這段視頻中，柔軟的機器人行走到床上的岩石和流體充滿了岩石的顏色相匹配，並打破了機器人的形狀。機器人移動的速度是每小時約40米;缺席的彩色流體，它可以移動每小時約67米。未來的研究將在平滑的運動，但是，速度並不重要，重要的機器人的靈活性。軟機器人是有用的，因為它們是有彈性的，可以通過非常有限的空間機動，對於本演示中，研究人員用繫繩連接到機器人控制系統和泵加壓的氣體和液體。短距操作減少了這樣的機器人，通過使動力源和泵離板的尺寸和重量，但是未來的原型可以在一個自包含的系統中，並將該設備。在機器人的顏色變化在2.25毫升每分鐘的泵送速率，需要30秒。一旦充滿，顏色層無需電源來維持顏色DARPA的機器人程序的其他信息