Team 4 Research Question
Original Research Question:
How can we use foldable robotic techniques to design a compressible robot capable of navigating through tight spaces?
Refined Research Question:
How can we mimic the motion of a razor clam to create a bio-inspired foldable robot capable of scaling inclined spaces?
Tractability
Our team has refined the initial research question by focusing more on scaling inclined spaces. Although our robot design will still have the ability to pass through tight spaces, it will focus more on climbing and descending angled terrain. Our team plans to prototype large and eventually transfer our mechanism to a much smaller size. Similar to the motion of a razor clam, our design will use an anchor to wedge itself between the walls of a crevice and pull/push its body into and away from this anchor point. The design will be able to translate up and down steep angled crevices without the use of high power suction based technologies. In order to minimize cost and materials, the prototype will be constructed primarily from cardstock material. Additionally, foldable robotic techniques will be implemented to minimize the use of bulky and expensive actuators. Although climbing robots are constantly being researched, they are usually expensive, high powered, and bulky. The aim of our prototype is to expand robot accessibility to inclined spaces while maintaining a low-cost and low-power design.
Novelty
To initialize our team’s literature review, words like climbing, inclined motion, collapsable, razor clam, clam, muscle, anchor, crawl, compressibe, shrink, kinematics, tight, compact, small, cracks, climbing, robotic, and foldable were used to narrow down the research results. Unfortunately, not too many research papers focus on the motion of the razor clam. As a result, our team decided to research vertical GAIT patterns in multiple types of climbing bio-inspired robots. The four highly cited references that closely resemble our research question included:
RoboClam
Similar to our design approach, Massachusetts Institute of Technology based their design from the features of razor clam. They researched and experimented with soil deformation caused by the razor clams motion in order to see how they are able to maneuver through almost 70 centimeters of tight soil given their physical size. By measuring the soil’s deformation, the researchers found that the razor clam reduces its body’s drag by contracting its valves to initially fail, and then fluidizize the surrounding substrate [1]. From this research, the team designed and constructed the RoboClam, a robotic machine which mimics the digging motion of a razor clam by solving for the optimal digging kinematics. The robot is capable of turning solid soil into liquid sand, helping the machine easily pass through tight soil. The RoboClam is mainly used to lay underground cables and disable/destroy underground mines. Although RoboClam was successfully able to navigate through tight soil, the robot was very bulky, heavy, expensive, and limited to a certain digging distance.
Miniature Bipedal Dynamic Climbing Platform
Although Florida State University’s design approach does not mimic the razor clam, their research is based upon vertical GAIT patterns seen in numerous insects and animals. The team at Florida state has a similar research question to that described above. The goal of their research was to develop dynamic GAITs specifically in the vertical direction. Because numerous GAIT families for traversing flat grounds are already defined and heavily researched, the team of mechanical engineers at Florida State studied vertical motion. The team applies the information and data found through studying three climbing GAIT patterns to simulations and physical tests. They use the information and data obtained from these simulations and tests to develop a more advanced climbing robot [2]. Their final design is lightweight, compact, inexpensive, and only uses one actuator to create climbing motion. These features are similar to the ones defined earlier by our envisioned design.
Multimodal Pipe-Climbing Robot
Pipe-climbing robots have been an area of study for the past couple of years. These robots are inspired by some of nature’s climbing animals and insects who navigate through hollow tree holes. Beihang University has used these bio-inspired creatures to design a pipe-climbing robot used to inspect and maintain pipelines. This research paper explains Beihang Universities proposed solution to navigating pipelines. This solution includes a robot which uses a soft linear actuator for bio-inspired propulsion, two origami inspired clutches to add multi-degree-of-freedom motion, and two pairs of soft modular legs for climbing [3]. The paper provides an in-depth description of the tests and simulations executed by the team of engineers, as well as the data collected throughout the process. This paper closely ties into our team’s research question as it uses a bio-inspired robot with origami inspired parts to navigate through tight pipes of different angles.
Micro Pole-ClimbingRobot
A team of three robotic researchers have developed a bio-inspired robot from a five-bar mechanism in order to carry out high-risk tasks for humans. The research paper covers everything from kinematics, to PID control, and even autonomous climbing of this robot. The bio-inspired robot uses a three-axis accelerometer to detect the angle relative to the ground. This information is used to determine the pitch-and-roll components of the estimated orientation [4]. The robot is inspired by a caterpillar and uses kinematics, dynamics, and foldable robotics to create a solution to the high-risk jobs in today’s world. Although this research paper focuses on pole-climbing robots and our team’s research focuses on tight spaces, the kinematics, five-bar mechanism, and micro sized concept will help our team get a better understanding of the system’s dynamic characteristics.
Interesting
Research in the field of Robotics is always on the lookout for solutions that are smart, affordable, readily available, have less impact on the environment, and so forth. In recent years, people have been connecting with each other through the internet, more than they have in the past. This paves the way for those who notice issues that happen all over the world to spread awareness of them. In the same manner, Robotics has gained attention in society, at large. An everyday person is interested and ready to invest in technology that is helpful and affordable for them. It is in our best interest, as engineers, to create new and update existing technology for the very same reason.
Since the invention of the computer in the 1940s, focus has mainly been on upgrading microprocessors, better software to run commands and such. Eventually, this led to affordable and compact electronics for everyday use. Even though Control System Engineering has been around for quite some time, there have only been advances in applications like automobiles for the common man. Other applications are related to machinery used in factories, defense or aircraft. An interest in smaller, more compact devices or those that autonomously make themselves compact is gaining traction in the engineering community. This is because the use of a small robot is being recognized as highly efficient in areas such as the exploration of unsafe environments, safety robots etc. Foldable robotics comes from two extremely different fields: Robotics and Origami which are branches of Engineering and Art. Exploring this field to find solutions for existing and future issues is underway.
It can be very difficult for minor companies to experiment with and further their own research regarding robotics. Currently, large corporations in the robotic systems market tend to play a larger role, and have the backing of big investors, who supply them with better resources for research to advance their products than smaller businesses. Minor companies depend on existing devices or need devices that work within their budget. Creating a cheap base robot on which experiments and tests can be done allows for rapid prototyping. Once a viable solution has been created, it can then be modified for use in a variety of applications. For example, some environmental changes would require a change in materials. The base robot could also be equipped with additional sensors depending on the specific application. With further research, applications to the community in general can be found. Regarding the general community, small robots that are efficient, affordable, maintainable, and easy to use will make it relatively convenient for the average person to obtain them and the benefits they come with, from entertainment to healthcare.
Looking at some of the applications in which a foldable robotic system could be used, a basic search regarding an adaptable robot that is able to navigate through varying inclined environments, suggests that it would be particularly useful for navigating through terrain that is unfit or impossible for humans to traverse through, such as small spaces, radioactive environments, etc. Given the ability to traverse through these environments, it could also be used as live feed in disasters such as landslides, mine collapses, etc, where initial responses can be slow, as these environments can be too unstable for a quick manual search . Also, robots that can autonomously or semi-autonomously navigate through underground passageways can be used for preventive analysis by preemptively scouting out and mapping an area whose conditions and stability may be unknownA robot that is similar to a cockroach that is proverbially said to be able survive a nuclear holocuast is an interesting idea.
Advances in this field is an eye-opener for further innovations. Many organisms already have very efficient systems. Bio-inspired robots take advantage of these systems by replicating those found in said organisms. This research plans on using bio-inspiration combined with foldable robotics techniques which can potentially help pave the way for further developments that can improve existing applications such as wheelchairs for the paraplegic, large-scale manufacturing in factories, etc.
Open-ended
This research focus is extremely open-ended. If this investigation is used as the baseline, a more effective and efficient self collapsing tiny structure could be realized. Given more time and resources, the lessons learned from this research could be used to tweak and alter the designs to provide a superior concept, leading to better foldable mechanics; thus, leading to the progression of this concept along with the field as a whole. Furthermore, the idea of traversing a variety of tight and inclined spaces with minimal physical footprint has numerous applications in mining and exploration , potentially finding places previously unknown. Foldable robotics that are cheap, as well as easy to assemble and operate may be an economically advantageous market for future exploration endeavors.
Modular
Researching self-collapsable robots that are capable of traversing inclines within small areas has significant compatibility with other research topics for foldable robotics. The collapsibility factor is a highly desirable attribute when dealing with nearly all applications of robotics. Being able to take the lessons learned within this research and applying them elsewhere to make other robotic systems smaller and able to traverse inclined spaces speaks to its own rewards. If this research shows applicability of mechanisms that are simple yet effective at scaling inclines, they could be added to robots with different functions, increasing versatility and function. Ultimately, any research which yields any small improvement in the field could have untold complementary application value.
Team fit
All members in this team are pursuing their masters with a focus in robotics engineering. Two of the members have extensive experience with fabrication and testing techniques, while the third is well versed in the theory behind many engineering concepts. At least one team member has always loved origami, a core principle in foldable robotics, as the system needs to be able to collapse and reconfigure itself to traverse and maneuver in its environment. As engineering students that have completed their Bachelors Degree, members have experience with visualizing and designing unique systems, taking into consideration the electrical, mechanical, and software aspects. With the backgrounds, experiences, and interests of the collective team, they should be able to take on the challenges of this research from multiple angles.
Topic fit
In order to adapt to different physical spaces, a robot that is capable of manipulating its own dimensions would be perfectly suited to traverse a wide range of inclined, if not completely vertical, spaces. Foldable robotics techniques can equip a robot with the ability to both self-expand and collapse, which is perfect when taking into account the fact that the solution to this question should have a high level of adaptability so as to be usable in a wide range of scenarios and environments. Depending on the level of complexity or durability the robot needs, different folding techniques will need to be taken into account, as some folds can create stronger supports than others. There will need to be a balance between rigidity and flexibility when finding a viable solution, two aspects that are crucial when designing a foldable robotic system.
References
[1] A. G. V Winter, R. L. H. Deits, D. S. Dorsch, A. H. Slocum, and A. E. Hosoi, “Razor clam to RoboClam: Burrowing drag reduction mechanisms and their robotic adaptation,” Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, vol. 9, no. 3, 2014, doi: 10.1088/1748-3182/9/3/036009.
[2] J. M. Brown, M. P. Austin, B. D. Miller, and J. E. Clark, “Evidence for multiple dynamic climbing gait families,” Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, vol. 14, no. 3, 2019, doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/aae420.
[3] Y. Jiang, D. Chen, H. Zhang, F. Giraud, and J. Paik, “Multimodal pipe-climbing robot with origami clutches and soft modular legs,” Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, vol. 15, no. 2, 2020, doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab5928.
[4] D. Qiaoling, L. Yan, and L. Sinan, “Design of a micro pole-climbing robot,” Int. J. Adv. Robot. Syst., vol. 16, no. 3, 2019, doi: 10.1177/1729881419852813.