Textile Technology for Soft Robotic and Autonomous Garments

Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 31(6)

Published: Dec. 10, 2020

Abstract Textiles have emerged as a promising class of materials for developing wearable robots that move and feel like everyday clothing. represent favorable material platform due to their flexibility, low weight, breathability, soft hand‐feel. also offer unique level programmability because inherent hierarchical nature, enabling researchers modify tune properties at several interdependent scales. With these advantages capabilities in mind, roboticists begun use textiles, not simply substrates, but functional components program actuation sensing. In parallel, scientists are new respond thermal, electrical, hygroscopic stimuli by leveraging textile structures function. Although textiles one humankind's oldest technologies, just beginning tap into potential. This review provides textile‐centric survey the current state art robotic garments highlights metrics will guide development. Recent advances (i.e., sensors, actuators, integration components) described with focus on how technologies set stage programmed level.

Language: Английский

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Advanced Design of Fibrous Flexible Actuators for Smart Wearable Applications

Advanced Fiber Materials, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 6(3), P. 622 - 657

Published: March 22, 2024

Abstract Smart wearables equipped with integrated flexible actuators possess the ability to autonomously respond and adapt changes in environment. Fibrous textiles have been recognised as promising platforms for integrating owing their superior body compliance, lightweight nature, programmable architectures. Various studies related textile smart recently reported. However, review focusing on advanced design of these actuator technologies is lacking. Herein, a timely thorough progress achieved this field over past five years presented. This focuses concepts wearables, covering functional materials, innovative architecture configurations, external stimuli, applications wearables. The primary aspects focus actuating formation techniques architecture, behaviour performance metrics actuators, various challenges next-generation Ultimately, conclusive perspectives are highlighted. Graphical

Language: Английский

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Design and Computational Modeling of Fabric Soft Pneumatic Actuators for Wearable Assistive Devices

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 10(1)

Published: June 15, 2020

Abstract Assistive wearable soft robotic systems have recently made a surge in the field of biomedical robotics, as materials allow safe and transparent interactions between users devices. A recent interest pneumatic actuators (SPAs) has been introduction new class called fabric (FSPAs). These exploit unique capabilities different woven knit textiles, including zero initial stiffness, full collapsibility, high power-to-weight ratio, puncture resistant, stretchability. By using 2D manufacturing methods we are able to create that can extend, contract, twist, bend, perform combination these motions 3D space. This paper presents comprehensive simulation design tool for various types FSPAs finite element method (FEM) models. The FEM models developed experimentally validated, order capture complex non-linear behavior individual optimized free displacement blocked force, applicable assistive tasks.

Language: Английский

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Soft Actuators and Robotic Devices for Rehabilitation and Assistance

Advanced Intelligent Systems, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 4(4)

Published: Nov. 21, 2021

Soft actuators and robotic devices have been increasingly applied to the field of rehabilitation assistance, where safe human machine interaction is particular importance. Compared with their widely used rigid counterparts, soft can provide a range significant advantages; these include interaction, complex motions, ease fabrication, resilience variety environments. In recent decades, effort has invested in development assistive for improving medical treatments quality life. This review provides an overview current state‐of‐the‐art systems that achieve actuation by pneumatic hydraulic fluid‐power, electrical motors, chemical reactions, active materials such as dielectric elastomers, shape memory alloys, magnetoactive liquid crystal piezoelectric materials. Current research on its infancy, new device designs control strategies improved performance human–machine are identified particularly untapped areas research. Finally, insights into future directions outlined.

Language: Английский

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A wearable textile-based pneumatic energy harvesting system for assistive robotics

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(34)

Published: Aug. 24, 2022

Wearable assistive, rehabilitative, and augmentative devices currently require bulky power supplies, often making these tools more of a burden than an asset. This work introduces soft, low-profile, textile-based pneumatic energy harvesting system that extracts directly from the foot strike user during walking. Energy is harvested with textile pump integrated into insole user’s shoe stored in wearable bladder to operate actuators on demand, performance optimized based mechano-fluidic model. The recovered maximum average nearly 3 W over 20% conversion efficiency—outperforming electromagnetic, piezoelectric, triboelectric alternatives—and was used arm-lift device assists shoulder motion supernumerary robotic arm, demonstrating its capability as lightweight, low-cost, comfortable solution support adults upper body functional limitations activities daily living.

Language: Английский

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Unfolding Textile-Based Pneumatic Actuators for Wearable Applications

Soft Robotics, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 9(1), P. 163 - 172

Published: Jan. 22, 2021

Textile based pneumatic actuators have recently seen increased development for use in wearable applications thanks to their high strength weight ratio and range of achievable actuation modalities. However, the design these textile-based is typically an iterative process due complexity predicting soft compliant behavior textiles. In this work we investigate mechanics a physical prototypes unfolding understand develop intuition how geometric parameters actuator affect moment it generates, enabling more deterministic designs future. Under benchtop conditions were characterized at angles pressures (0 – 136 kPa), three distinct performance regimes observed, which define as Shearing, Creasing, Flattening. During Flattening, effects both length radius dominate with maximum moments excess 80 Nm being generated, while during Creasing dominates generated scaling cube radius. Low stiffness spring like observed Shearing regime, occurs approaches its unfolded angle. A piecewise analytical model was also developed compared experimental results within each regime. Finally, prototype integrated into shoulder assisting robot, on-body characterization robot performed on five healthy individuals observe application. Results from highlight that can generate useful (10.74 90° angle) but there are significant reductions bench-top performance, particular when mostly folded higher pressures.

Language: Английский

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3D Knitting for Pneumatic Soft Robotics

Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(26)

Published: April 23, 2023

Abstract Soft robots adapt passively to complex environments due their inherent compliance, allowing them interact safely with fragile or irregular objects and traverse uneven terrain. The vast tunability ubiquity of textiles has enabled new soft robotic capabilities, especially in the field wearable robots, but existing textile processing techniques (e.g., cut‐and‐sew, thermal bonding) are limited terms rapid, additive, accessible, waste‐free manufacturing. While 3D knitting potential address these limitations, an incomplete understanding impact structure material on knit‐scale mechanical properties macro‐scale device performance precluded widespread adoption knitted robots. In this work, roles knit yarn mechanics spanning three regimes–unfolding, geometric rearrangement, stretching–are elucidated shown be tailorable across unique architectures materials. Based understanding, actuators for extension, contraction, bending constructed. Combining actuation primitives enables monolithic fabrication entire grippers a single‐step additive manufacturing procedure suitable variety applications. This approach represents first step seamlessly “printing” conformal, low‐cost, customizable textile‐based on‐demand.

Language: Английский

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The-state-of-the-art of soft robotics to assist mobility: a review of physiotherapist and patient identified limitations of current lower-limb exoskeletons and the potential soft-robotic solutions

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 20(1)

Published: Jan. 30, 2023

Abstract Background Soft, wearable, powered exoskeletons are novel devices that may assist rehabilitation, allowing users to walk further or carry out activities of daily living. However, soft robotic exoskeletons, and the more commonly used rigid not widely adopted clinically. The available evidence highlights a disconnect between needs exoskeleton engineers designing devices. This review aimed explore literature on physiotherapist patient perspectives longer-standing, therefore greater evidenced, limitations. It then offered potential solutions these limitations, including robotics, from an engineering standpoint. Methods A state-of-the-art was carried which included both qualitative quantitative research papers regarding and/or exoskeletons. Papers were themed themes formed review’s framework. Results Six main limitations important physiotherapists patients: safety; one-size-fits approach; ease device use; weight placement device; cost and, specific patients only, appearance device. Potential soft-robotics address offered, compliant actuators, sensors, suit attachments fitting user’s body, use control algorithms. Conclusions is evident current meeting their users. Solutions inform development. infallible thus development required.

Language: Английский

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Wirelessly Powered 3D Printed Hierarchical Biohybrid Robots with Multiscale Mechanical Properties

Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 32(31)

Published: May 3, 2022

The integration of flexible and stretchable electronics into biohybrid soft robotics can spur the development new approaches to fabricate machines, thus enabling a wide variety innovative applications. Inspired by wireless-based bioelectronic devices, we have developed untethered robots that execute swimming motions, which are remotely controllable wireless transmission electrical power cell simulator. To this end, wirelessly-powered, stretchable, lightweight stimulators were designed be integrated muscle bodies without impeding robots' underwater abilities. function generating controlled monophasic pulses up ∼9 V in biological environments. By differentiating induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) directly on using an accordion-inspired, three-dimensional (3D) printing construct, replicated native myofiber architecture with comparable robustness enhanced contractibility. Wirelessly modulated frequencies enabled us control speed direction robots. A maximum locomotion ∼580 μm/s was achieved possessing large body size adjusting pacing frequency. This approach will provide platform for building systems various biomedical

Language: Английский

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Soft Wearable Robots: Development Status and Technical Challenges

Sensors, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 22(19), P. 7584 - 7584

Published: Oct. 6, 2022

In recent years, more and research has begun to focus on the flexible lightweight design of wearable robots. During this process, many novel concepts achievements have been continuously made shown public, while new problems emerged at same time, which need be solved. paper, we give an overview development status soft robots for human movement assistance. On basis a clear definition, perform system classification according target assisted joint attempt describe overall prototype level in related fields. Additionally, it is necessary sort out latest progress key technologies such as structure, actuation, control evaluation, thereby analyzing ideas basic characteristics them. Finally, discuss possible application fields, propose main challenges valuable direction.

Language: Английский

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