| NSF Org: |
ECCS Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 6, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 6, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1830575 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Richard Nash
rnash@nsf.gov (703)292-5394 ECCS Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2018 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $199,342.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $199,342.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
80 GEORGE ST MEDFORD MA US 02155-5519 (617)627-3696 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
200 Boston Avenue Medford MA US 02155-4243 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | NRI-National Robotics Initiati |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
The main objective of this National Robotics Initiative (NRI) award is to develop collaborative Modular Soft Robots (MSoRos) that can move in complex terrestrial and climbing environments and change size and shape. A swarm of MSoRos could be used in disaster relief (search and rescue operations), space exploration and precision agriculture. For example, search and rescue scenarios require small robots to autonomously navigate holes and to crawl through narrow cracks/spaces. The collaborative MSoRos will be composed of soft individual units that can deform to penetrate these spaces without prior programming. In agriculture, where the environment is complex, unstructured (soil) and adverse (changes include heat-cold and rain), these robotic modular devices will be capable of multiple behaviors to match their tasks. For example, individual modules could crawl around locally to monitor soil-health and then re-configure as a three-dimensional ball to roll to a centralized station after the task is complete. The ability to form different structures in this way can minimize locomotion costs. Furthermore, this research is easy to disseminate among high-school and undergraduate students as soft robots are cheap, safe to operate and intriguing. The MSoRos will excite young minds by connecting popular robot icons such as Transformers or Big Hero 6, with real-life morphing soft robots. Simultaneously, it will introduce them to futuristic robotics and mechatronics technologies with applications to wearable robotics, collaborative robotics and robots-in-homes, and encourage them to pursue career in STEM and robotics.
This combination of morphing and modularity can dramatically increase the adaptability of a robot. The proposed research will: a) learn principles for robot mobility in complex environments. This is analogous to building reduced-order models (ROMs). Environment-specific ROMs for a highly deformable, soft, continuum robot will be reverse-engineered by learning factors that dominate robot-environment interactions; b) design open-source, untethered MSoRos that will increase the versatility, robustness and cost effectiveness of traditional modular robots; c) establish that environment awareness is a powerful strategy for controlling deformable robots. MSoRos will use their interaction with the environment to learn and deploy appropriate behaviors. This will lead to the development of hybrid robots that will combine environment-centric exploratory learning (this research) with existing model-centric strategies, to carryout complex autonomous tasks.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
A challenging problem in mobile robotics is to construct machines that are versatile yet safe to use around people and in natural environments. This can be addressed, in part, by mimicking living creatures and constructing machines from soft materials. However, this technology is new and there are only a few examples of untethered soft robots that can reasonably be deployed as useful machines.
Based on our previous research experience studying the neuromechanics of soft bodied terrestrial animals such as caterpillars, we developed a large (60cm long), lightweight, and compressible crawling robot for use in real-world applications. This untethered, soft robot (MONOLITh) is constructed using open cell foam as its main structural component and it is powered by readily available electric motors and controllers. The advantage of this technology is that it allows extremely lightweight, cheap, and compressible machines to be created for use in complex environments. This could include search and rescue missions in earthquake disasters, or for surveying and remote sensing in delicate natural landscapes. The lightweight design also means that multiple machines can work together as modules that assemble into a bigger device to provide new capabilities without unduly increasing weight or compromising deformability. Particularly important elements include the use of mesh fabrics to connect motorized tendons to the main body and a variety of simple ?hot swap? traction devices that snap onto each surface for use in different situations.
During the development of this robot, we devised a fabrication technique, and theoretical framework, for designing and constructing foam limbs whose complex movements can be controlled with simple linear tendons. This was demonstrated by building a soft trunk-like limb supporting a two fingered gripper, whose movements are controlled by three simple tendons. By adjusting the relative tension on these tendons movements of the trunk and gripper could be decoupled from one another or allowed to freely move in three dimensions.
The work has also had a broader impact on interdisciplinary training, and on the related fields of biomechanics and neuroscience. It has been a core element of the Soft Material Robotics training program at Tufts University, and we have trained students from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Two PhD students in Biology contributed significantly to this project and have now completed their graduate degrees. Two Engineering Masters students completed their thesis research working on the design of foam limbs and surface gripping systems used in MONOLITh and they are now working as professional engineers. We have learnt a good deal about interdisciplinary approaches to science and engineering pedagogy and have incorporated these methods into our ongoing curriculum. Our experience in developing this training program is helping to advise a variety of international robotics and biomimetic programs for which Dr. Trimmer serves on the advisory boards.
Last Modified: 03/07/2023
Modified by: Barry A Trimmer
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