ACTUATOR POWERED DEFORMABLE SOFT-BODIED AUTONOMOUS PLATFORMS

• US 20100258362A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tufts University
• Original Assignee: Tufts University
• Inventors: Trimmer, Barry
• Application Number:
  US12/747,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20100258362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/7.100
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/18 Figure toys which perform a realistic walking motion
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/045 the cleaning devices being rotated while moved , e.g. flexible rotating shaft or "snake"B08B9/047 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/065 Snake robots
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1085 positioning by means of shape-memory materials shape memory actuators F03G7/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1095 chemically actuated

Abstract

The present solution described herein provides apparatuses, methods and systems for coordinating and controlling movement of soft-bodied robots, or soft-bodied platforms. A soft-bodied robot may move across a terrain by morphing, deforming, expanding, shrinking, extending, contracting, twisting, untwisting, bending or straightening of its body using actuators positioned within the body. The body may be divided into many segments. The segments may be moved or controlled by actuators that are attached to various sections of the body. The actuators may deform or reshape themselves to induce movement onto the soft-bodied robot whose soft material body walls allow for morphing and deformation. The soft-bodied robot may further include systems and apparatuses for controlling and coordinating the movement of the robots and performing any additional functionality.

Claims

1. A soft-bodied autonomous platform comprising:

a body comprising a first segment, a second segment connected with the first, and a third segment connected with the second but not the first;

a first actuator attached to an interior of the first segment and an interior of the second segment, the first actuator enclosed within the body;

a second actuator attached to the interior of the first segment and to an interior of the third segment, the second actuator enclosed within the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator deforms the first segment and the second segment and wherein the second actuator deforms the first segment, the second segment and the third segment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third actuator attached to the interior of the second segment and the interior of the third segment, the third actuator enclosed within the body, the third actuator deforming the second and the third segments.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fourth segment connected with the third segment, but not connected with the first segment and the second segment, and a third actuator having a first and a second end, the first end of the third actuator attached to the interior of the first segment and the second end of the third actuator attached to an interior of the fourth segment, the third actuator enclosed within the body and deforming the first, the second, the third and the fourth segments.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein any one of the first actuator or the second actuator comprises one of a shaped memory alloy or an elastomeric material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein any one of the first actuator or the second actuator comprises one of an elastomeric material or an electroactive polymer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuators deform a portion of the body by producing one of a bending, crawling, cantilevering, contractin extending or twisting movement of the portion of the body.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shape of the body is substantially similar to a shape of a caterpillar, the body comprising a set of legs, each one of the set of legs comprising a bump protruding from a bottom portion of the body, the body further comprising any one of a sensor, a detector, a transmitter or a receiver.

3. (canceled)

6-8. -8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12-14. -14. (canceled)

16-18. -18. (canceled)

20-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method for creating a movement of an autonomous apparatus, wherein a polymeric body having at least three concatenated segments having a second segment connected with a first segment and a third segment wherein the third segment is not connected with the first segment, and a first actuator having two ends, both ends connecting to an interior of the first segment, a second actuator attached to the interior of the first segment and an interior of the second segment, and a third actuator attached to the interior of the first segment and an interior of the third segment, the first actuator and the second actuator and the third actuator enclosed within the body, the method comprising:

deforming, by a first actuator a first body segment and a second body segment; and

deforming, by a second actuator the first segment, the second segment, and a third body segment.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising deforming, by a third actuator, a first segment, and deforming the first segment, the second segment, the third segment and a fourth segment, by a fourth actuator enclosed within the body, the fourth actuator attached to the area inside of the first segment and an area inside of the fourth segment, the fourth segment connected to the third segment, but not connected to the first segment and the second segment.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising collapsing, by an actuator, any one of the first segment, the second segment or the third segment to a fraction of a maximum volume of that segment.

51. The method of claim 45, further comprising contracting, by an actuator, any one of the first segment, the second segment or the third segment.

52. The method of claim 45, further comprising extending, by an actuator, any one of the first segment, the second segment or the third segment.

47. (canceled)

49-50. -50. (canceled)

53-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A method for creating a movement of an autonomous apparatus by deformation of a body of the autonomous apparatus, the method comprising:

a) providing, by an autonomous apparatus, a body comprising a plurality of segments;

b) pressing, by a first segment of the plurality, against a surface;

c) deforming, by the body, at least a second segment of the plurality;

d) pressing, by a third segment of the plurality, against the surface;

e) releasing, by the first segment, pressure of the first segment against the surface;

f) deforming, by the body, at least the second segment;

g) pressing, by the first segment, against the surface in response to the expanding in step f);

h) releasing, by the third segment, pressure of the third segment against the surface;

i) contracting, by the body, at least the second segment in response pressing in step g).

61. The method of claim 60, wherein step c) further comprises deforming, by the body, a second plurality of segments;

by contracting the second plurality of segments, and step f) further comprises deforming, by the body, the second plurality of segments by expanding the second plurality of segments.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein step c) further comprises deforming, by the body, a second plurality of segments by bending the second plurality of segments, and step f) further comprises deforming, by the body, the second plurality of segments by extending the second plurality of segments.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein step c) further comprises deforming, by the body, at least the second segment by contracting at least the second segment.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein step c) further comprises deforming, by the body, at least the second segment by contracting the at least second segment in response to step b).

65. The method of claim 60, wherein step c) further comprises deforming, by the body, at least the second segment by bending the at least second segment.

67. The method of claim 60, wherein step e) further comprises releasing, by the first segment, pressure of the first segment against the surface in response to the step d).

66. (canceled)

68-69. -69. (canceled)