Abstract
Wireless power transfer (WPT) has the significant potential for soft-bodied continuum robots to extend the operational time limitlessly and reduce weight. However, rigid power receiver coils, widely used in WPT, hinder the continuum deformation of the robot, and as a result, the function realization using the continuum deformation (e.g., locomotion) is impaired. Therefore, this article introduces that a soft-bodied continuum robot can be designed by using thin film receiver coils and an inductively coupled wireless powering solution without sacrificing the continuum deformation and locomotion ability. A system is described for powering and controlling a soft robotic caterpillar consisting of nothing more than its continuum structure, actuators, and thin/flexible power receiving coils.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 700-710 |
| Journal | Soft Robotics |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 30 Mar 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2020 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
This work was supported by JST ERATO grant no. JPMJER1501, Japan, and KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Science of Soft Robot” project funded by JSPS under grant no. 18H05467. In addition, this work was funded by the EU ERASMUS Mundus TEAM Exchange program.
Keywords
- wireless power transfer (WPT)
- soft-bodied robotics
- autonomous mobile robot
- shape memory alloy (SMA) coil