Biomimetic geometric caterpillar crawling biohybrid robot and method of manufacture

Abstract

The application discloses a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot and a manufacturing method, which comprises an encapsulation layer, an electric stimulation module, a mechanical framework, a living body module and a friction pad; the friction pad is connected to the grounding of the mechanical framework through a chemical substance, the living body module is adhered to the bottom groove of the mechanical framework, the electric stimulation module is adhered to the upper part of the mechanical framework through the encapsulation layer, and the electric stimulation module and the living body module are arranged one by one; under the stimulation of the electric stimulation module, the living body contracts, the mechanical framework is bent and deformed under the action of the living body force, the front friction pad and the rear friction pad of the robot provide directional friction force, the robot moves forward, and the crawling is realized through the sequential contraction and relaxation of the multiple living bodies and the directional friction force generated in the movement process, so that the problem that the mechanical structure deformation is small and the movement performance of the crawling biological hybrid robot is limited under the condition that the output force of the living body is limited is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of bio-hybrid robot technology, and relates to a bio-hybrid robot that mimics a geometric caterpillar and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Bio-hybrid robots are robots that utilize living biological materials to drive mechanical structures at the microscale to achieve movement or function. At the microscale, they possess advantages not found in traditional rigid or flexible actuation methods, such as high energy efficiency, high power-to-mass ratio, high energy density, high accuracy, high strength, and high repeatability. The field of bio-hybrid robotics has been listed as one of the top ten challenges facing the future of robotics, and it has become a cutting-edge technology area of ​​great interest in the international robotics field. Bio-hybrid robots can achieve multi-field and multi-disciplinary integration, and have broad application prospects in medicine, agriculture, military, environmental monitoring, and other fields. Therefore, research on bio-hybrid robots has broad scientific significance and application value.

[0003] Bio-hybrid robots can achieve various motion modes such as swimming, crawling, grasping, and pumping, with crawling bio-hybrid robots being a research hotspot. To meet the complex and ever-changing demands of practical applications and increase the application potential of crawling bio-hybrid robots in dynamic environments, their motion performance urgently needs improvement. Existing crawling bio-hybrid robots can only achieve micrometer-level movements, and are mostly driven by a single organism, resulting in small mechanical deformation that is released with the organism's expansion and contraction, thus limiting their motion performance. Geometric caterpillars exhibit excellent motion performance, with their omega-like movements several times faster than those of ordinary caterpillars. This is attributed to the sequential contraction of the longitudinal abdominal muscles in segments 4-7 and the anchoring effect of their feet. The sequential contraction of multiple muscles increases the amount of deformation, while the anchoring effect of the feet provides directional friction in the forward direction. Therefore, current technology requires a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-inspired crawling bio-hybrid robot and its manufacturing method to address the problem of limited mobility in crawling bio-hybrid robots. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling bio-hybrid robot and its manufacturing method, so as to solve the problem of limited motion performance of crawling bio-hybrid robots.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling bio-hybrid robot includes:

[0007] Encapsulation layer, electrostimulation module, mechanical skeleton, life form module and friction pad;

[0008] The friction pad is connected to the ground of the mechanical skeleton by a chemical substance, the living body module is adhered to the bottom groove of the mechanical skeleton, the electrical stimulation module is adhered to the upper part of the mechanical skeleton by the encapsulation layer, and the external electrical stimulation is provided for the living body module; the electrical stimulation module and the living body module are arranged one-to-one.

[0009] Preferably, the electrical stimulation module comprises a first electrical stimulation sheet, a second electrical stimulation sheet and a third electrical stimulation sheet; the first electrical stimulation sheet, the second electrical stimulation sheet and the third electrical stimulation sheet are arranged on the upper part of the stretchable part of the mechanical skeleton.

[0010] Preferably, the living body module comprises a first living body, a second living body and a third living body.

[0011] The first living body, the second living body and the third living body are arranged in the bottom groove of the stretchable part of the mechanical skeleton, and the first electrical stimulation sheet, the second electrical stimulation sheet and the third electrical stimulation sheet are arranged one-to-one with the first living body, the second living body and the third living body respectively.

[0012] Preferably, the friction pad comprises a small friction coefficient friction pad and a large friction coefficient friction pad; the front feet and the rear feet of the mechanical skeleton are arranged with the small friction coefficient friction pad and the large friction coefficient friction pad at the ground; the small friction coefficient friction pad is arranged in front and the large friction coefficient friction pad is arranged behind along the advancing direction of the mechanical skeleton.

[0013] Preferably, in the contraction stage of the living body module, the large friction coefficient friction pad of the front feet of the mechanical skeleton plays an anchoring role when grounding, and the small friction coefficient friction pad of the rear feet of the mechanical skeleton makes the robot move forward when grounding.

[0014] In the diastolic stage of the living body module, the large friction coefficient friction pad of the rear feet of the mechanical skeleton plays an anchoring role when grounding, and the small friction coefficient friction pad of the front feet of the mechanical skeleton makes the robot move forward when grounding.

[0015] Preferably, the friction pad is connected to the mechanical skeleton by a benzophenone solution treatment; the mechanical skeleton is a methyl methacrylate acylated gelatin-carbon nanotube hydrogel layer, and the living body module is obtained by culturing rat neonatal primary skeletal muscle cells on the mechanical skeleton to grow and differentiate.

[0016] Preferably, the encapsulation layer and the electrical stimulation module are connected to the mechanical skeleton by the photocuring effect of the methyl methacrylate acylated gelatin-carbon nanotube hydrogel.

[0017] Preferably, the electrical stimulation module is fixed on the encapsulation layer by the photocuring of the polyethylene glycol hydrogel; the encapsulation layer is a polyethylene glycol hydrogel photocured film.

[0018] A manufacturing method of a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot, comprising:

[0019] S1, placing an electric stimulation module at the bottom of a glass mold, then pouring a polyethylene glycol prepolymer solution to obtain an encapsulation layer after ultraviolet curing;

[0020] S2, turning over the encapsulation layer and the electric stimulation module, then pouring a methacrylic acid acylated gelatin-carbon nanotube prepolymer solution, and placing a PDMS stamp at a preset position to obtain a mechanical skeleton with grooves after ultraviolet curing;

[0021] S3, placing a polydimethylsiloxane film treated with a benzophenone solution in advance on the mechanical skeleton to manufacture a friction pad with different ratios;

[0022] S4, planting rat primary skeletal muscle cells in the grooves of the mechanical skeleton to obtain a living body module, and the whole bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot is manufactured.

[0023] Preferably, the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive are mixed with a curing agent at a ratio of 10:1 to obtain a large friction coefficient friction pad, and the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive are mixed with a curing agent at a ratio of 5:1 to obtain a small friction coefficient friction pad.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0025] The present application provides a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot and a manufacturing method thereof. The robot is composed of an encapsulation layer, an electric stimulation module, a mechanical skeleton, a living body and a friction pad. The living body provides driving force for the robot, the electric stimulation module applies electric stimulation to the living body to control the force output of the living body. The encapsulation layer is a light-cured film used to encapsulate the electric stimulation module. The mechanical skeleton is a film with a groove structure used to carry the encapsulation layer and the electric stimulation module and load the living body. The friction pad provides directional friction force in the forward direction of the robot. Under the stimulation of the electric stimulation module, the living body contracts, the mechanical skeleton deforms under the force of the living body, the front and rear friction pads of the robot provide directional friction force, the robot moves forward, and the crawling is realized through the sequential contraction and relaxation of multiple living bodies and the directional friction force generated during the movement. During the crawling movement, the living body contracts sequentially under the electric stimulation of the electric stimulation module, the mechanical skeleton deforms under stress, the friction pad provides directional friction force in the forward direction, and the robot deforms and moves forward, thereby realizing crawling movement. The application of the bionic mechanism and the driving of multiple living bodies can provide new ideas for the design field of the crawling biological hybrid robot.

[0026] Furthermore, this invention biomimics the movement mechanism of geometric caterpillars with excellent motion performance, providing a new design concept for a hybrid reptile robot that reduces the number of iterations in structural design.

[0027] Furthermore, this invention employs three life forms for driving, thereby increasing the output force of the life forms under the conditions of limited development of tissue engineering and the difficulty in increasing the output force of a single life form in a short period of time.

[0028] Furthermore, this invention employs an electrical stimulation module for sequential and localized stimulation, which accumulates deformation during the movement of the crawling bio-hybrid robot, thus improving the robot's motion performance.

[0029] Furthermore, the present invention employs friction pads with different coefficients of friction at the front and rear to ensure the frictional anisotropy of the crawling bio-hybrid robot's motion. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a reptilian hybrid robot;

[0031] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the body of a reptilian hybrid robot;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the kinematic principle of a reptilian hybrid robot; Figure (a) shows the contraction phase, and Figure (b) shows the relaxation phase.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of a reptilian hybrid robot;

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Diagram of the mechanical skeleton structure;

[0035] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Structure diagram of the friction pad.

[0036] Wherein: 1-Encapsulation layer, 2-Electrostimulation module, 3-Mechanical skeleton, 4-Life form module, 5-Friction pad, 21-First electrostimulation pad, 22-Second electrostimulation pad, 23-Third electrostimulation pad, 41-First life form, 42-Second life form, 43-Third life form, 51-Small friction coefficient friction pad, 52-Large friction coefficient friction pad. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are for explanation purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0038] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this invention designs a biomimetic reptile hybrid robot and its manufacturing method. This is significant for introducing natural biomimetic mechanisms into the design of biomimetic hybrid robots, expanding the design possibilities for reptile hybrid robots, and enhancing their application prospects. The geometric caterpillar is a lepidopteran larva with excellent locomotion performance. The geometric caterpillar's omega-like motion is several times faster than that of ordinary caterpillars. In one motion cycle, it throws forward five body segments with a frequency exceeding 2Hz, an overall speed of approximately 25mm / s, and a body length speed of approximately 0.78s. -1 It exhibits excellent motion performance. This is attributed to the sequential contraction of the longitudinal abdominal muscles in segments 4-7 of the geometric caterpillar and the anchoring effect of its feet. The sequential contraction of multiple muscles increases the amount of deformation, while the anchoring effect of the feet provides directional friction in the forward direction. Based on the motion mechanism of the geometric caterpillar, a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-inspired crawling bio-hybrid robot is designed. Specifically, the biomimetic geometric caterpillar-inspired crawling bio-hybrid robot system includes an encapsulation layer 1, an electrical stimulation module 2, a mechanical skeleton 3, a life form module 4, and a friction pad 5. The encapsulation layer 1 is polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel; the electrical stimulation module 2 is composed of a first electrical stimulation patch 21, a second electrical stimulation patch 22, and a third electrical stimulation patch 23; the mechanical framework is a methacrylated gelatin-carbon nanotube (GelMa-CNT) hydrogel layer; the living organism module 4 is composed of a first living organism 41, a second living organism 42, and a third living organism 43 cultured from primary skeletal muscle cells of suckling rats; and the friction pad 5 is composed of a friction pad 51 with a low coefficient of friction and a friction pad 52 with a high coefficient of friction.

[0041] The friction pad 5 is composed of friction pads with different coefficients of friction made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in different proportions. The friction pad 5 is connected to the mechanical skeleton 3 by treatment with benzophenone solution. The life module 4 grows and adheres to the groove structure under the mechanical skeleton 3. The electrical stimulation module 2 is fixed to the encapsulation layer 1 by photocuring PEG hydrogel. The encapsulation layer 1 and the electrical stimulation module 2 are connected to the mechanical skeleton 3 by photocuring GelMa-CNT hydrogel.

[0042] The friction pad 5 has a small friction coefficient friction pad 51 and a large friction coefficient friction pad 52, which provides directional friction for the robot to crawl.

[0043] The mechanical skeleton 3 is connected with the electric stimulation module 2, and the lower part has a groove structure, and the living body module 4 grows and differentiates through the groove structure on the lower surface of the mechanical skeleton 3 and adheres.

[0044] The working process of the present application is as follows: when the living body module 4 is in the contraction stage, the mechanical skeleton 3, the electric stimulation module 2 and the packaging layer 1 bend along with the output force of the living body module 4. The large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, thereby generating corresponding forward movement; when the living body module 4 is in the diastolic stage, the mechanical skeleton 3, the electric stimulation module 2 and the packaging layer 1 recover along with the diastole of the living body module 4. The small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, thereby generating corresponding forward movement.

[0045] The present application also provides a manufacturing method of a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot, comprising the following steps:

[0046] According to the working principle of the robot, the robot is divided into five parts: a packaging layer, an electric stimulation module, a mechanical skeleton, a living body and a friction pad.

[0047] The five parts are manufactured by different methods: the packaging layer is manufactured by light curing of PEG prepolymer solution. The electric stimulation module is manufactured by printing a conductive layer on a polyurethane (PU) film using screen printing technology to manufacture an electric stimulation sheet. The mechanical skeleton is manufactured by light curing of GelMa-CNT prepolymer solution. The living body is grown and differentiated by rat neonatal primary skeletal muscle cells on the mechanical skeleton. The friction pad is manufactured by polydimethylsiloxane obtained by mixing the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive with the curing agent at a ratio of 10:1 to manufacture a large friction coefficient friction pad, and by mixing the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive with the curing agent at a ratio of 5:1 to manufacture a small friction coefficient friction pad, and using a reverse mold method. The model of Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive is SYLGARD, made in the United States, and Dow Corning 184 potting adhesive is a two-component kit product composed of liquid components, including basic components and curing agent.

[0048] After the electrical stimulation module is manufactured, it is placed in a mold, PEG prepolymer solution is poured in, and after photopolymerization, an encapsulation layer is created. The structure is then flipped, GelMa-CNT prepolymer solution is poured in, and a PDMS stamp is placed on top while still uncured. After photopolymerization, a mechanical skeleton with a grooved structure is created. The extracted somatic cells are then seeded onto the grooves of the manufactured mechanical skeleton and undergo growth and differentiation. The friction pad, after being molded, is treated with benzophenone solution and attached to the mechanical skeleton to obtain the complete robot.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling bio-hybrid robot includes an encapsulation layer 1, an electrical stimulation module 2, a mechanical skeleton 3, a life form module 4, and a friction pad 5.

[0051] The electrical stimulation module 2 is composed of a first electrical stimulation pad 21, a second electrical stimulation pad 22, and a third electrical stimulation pad 23; the mechanical skeleton 3 has a groove structure at its lower part; the life form module 4 is composed of a first life form 41, a second life form 42, and a third life form 43; the friction pad 5 includes a friction pad 51 with a small coefficient of friction and a friction pad 52 with a large coefficient of friction.

[0052] The electrical stimulation module 2 and the life form module 4 are positioned in a one-to-one correspondence. The life form module 4 is attached to the groove structure of the mechanical skeleton 3 by cell implantation and growth. In the forward direction, the friction pad with a small coefficient of friction 51 is in front, and the friction pad with a large coefficient of friction 52 is behind.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the body of the biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot can be summarized into three parts. For example, the second part includes an encapsulation layer 1, a second electrical stimulation patch 22, a mechanical skeleton 3, and a second life form 42. The second life form 42 grows and adheres to the groove structure under the mechanical skeleton 3, and the second electrical stimulation patch 22 is supported on the top. The encapsulation layer 1 encapsulates this part.

[0054] like Figure 3 As shown, the robot's motion principle is as follows:

[0055] Based on the movement mechanism of a geometric caterpillar-like biomimetic object, a biomimetic crawling hybrid robot was designed. During the contraction phase, the electrical stimulation module 2 stimulates the organism module 4 to contract, causing the mechanical skeleton 3 to bend and deform. The robot's front and hind legs contract towards the center, with the front legs anchored and the hind legs moving forward. During the relaxation phase, the organism module 4 relaxes, and the mechanical skeleton 3 returns to its initial length. The hind legs remain anchored, and the front legs move forward.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, the manufacturing process of the reptile hybrid machine includes:

[0057] The first electric stimulation sheet 21, the second electric stimulation sheet 22 and the third electric stimulation sheet 23 are placed at the bottom of the glass mold according to the designed size. The PEG pre-polymer solution is poured, and the encapsulation layer 1 is manufactured by ultraviolet curing. The encapsulation layer 1 and the electric stimulation module 2 are turned over, the GelMa-CNT pre-polymer solution is poured, and the pre-manufactured PDMS stamp with grooves is placed thereon for manufacturing the groove structure, and the mechanical skeleton 3 is manufactured by ultraviolet curing. The PDMS film with different proportions, which is pre-processed by using benzophenone solution, is placed on the mechanical skeleton 3 to manufacture the friction pad 5. The rat primary skeletal muscle cells are planted on the groove structure of the mechanical skeleton 3 to manufacture the living body module 4. The whole machine manufacturing is completed.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5 The mechanical skeleton 3 is distributed with three groove structures on the surface, and the groove structure provides an attachment structure for cell proliferation and differentiation and increases the directional arrangement of cells to improve the output force of the living body. The living body module 4 exerts force on the mechanical skeleton 3, so that the mechanical skeleton 3, the electric stimulation module 2 and the encapsulation layer 1 are bent and deformed under the action of force and recover.

[0059] As shown in Figure 6 The friction pad 5 is composed of a small friction coefficient friction pad 51 and a large friction coefficient 52. Before the contraction stage of the living body module 4, the large friction coefficient 52 of the back foot is grounded, which plays an anchoring role, and the small friction coefficient 51 of the front foot is grounded, so that the robot moves forward. After the diastolic stage of the living body module 4, the large friction coefficient 52 of the back foot is grounded, which plays an anchoring role, and the small friction coefficient 51 of the front foot is grounded, so that the robot moves forward.

[0060] During the crawling motion, in the contraction phase: the first electric stimulation piece 21 stimulates the first living body 41 to contract, at this time the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the rear foot moves forward; the first electric stimulation piece 21 stimulates the first living body 41, the second electric stimulation piece 22 stimulates the second living body 42, the first living body 41 and the second living body 42 contract, at this time the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the rear foot moves forward; the first electric stimulation piece 21 stimulates the first living body 41, the second electric stimulation piece 22 stimulates the second living body 42, the third electric stimulation piece 23 stimulates the third living body 43, the first living body 41, the second living body 42 and the third living body 43 contract, at this time the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the rear foot moves forward. In the diastolic phase: the second electric stimulation piece 22 stimulates the second living body 42, the third electric stimulation piece 23 stimulates the third living body 43, the second living body 42 and the third living body 43 contract, and the first living body 41 diastole, at this time the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the front foot moves forward; the third electric stimulation piece 23 stimulates the third living body 43, the third living body 43 contracts, and the first living body 41 and the second living body 42 diastole, at this time the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the front foot moves forward; the electric stimulation module 2 does not stimulate, and the living body module 4 diastole, at this time the small friction coefficient friction pad 51 in the front foot friction pad 5 is grounded, the large friction coefficient friction pad 52 in the rear foot friction pad 5 is grounded, and the front foot moves forward.

[0061] A design and manufacturing method of a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot includes the following steps:

[0062] Design method: according to the working principle of the robot, the robot is divided into five parts: packaging layer, electric stimulation module, mechanical skeleton, living body and friction pad. After determining the parts of the robot and the connection mode, the size of each part is planned under the restriction and constraint of the size of the living body. The size of the living body is determined by tissue engineering culture technology. After the size of the living body is determined, the size of the electric stimulation module is determined, and the size of the packaging layer and the mechanical skeleton is determined, so as to determine the size of the friction pad.

[0063] Manufacturing method:

[0064] After determining the structure and size of each part of the robot, different manufacturing methods are used for different parts of the robot. The encapsulation layer is manufactured by light curing of PEG pre-polymer solution. The electric stimulation module is manufactured by printing a conductive layer on the PU film using screen printing technology. The mechanical skeleton is manufactured by light curing of GelMa-CNT pre-polymer solution. The living body is grown and differentiated by rat neonatal primary skeletal muscle cells on the mechanical skeleton. The friction pad is manufactured by different proportions of PDMS material, and is made by using a reverse mold method.

[0065] For the encapsulation layer 1, 20% PEG pre-polymer solution is poured into a glass mold, and the electric stimulation module is placed in the glass mold in advance. Under the irradiation of 120 mW / cm2 ultraviolet light, the encapsulation layer 1 adhered with the electric stimulation module 2 is obtained. 2 Irradiation and curing are performed to obtain a thin film-shaped encapsulation layer 1 adhered with the electric stimulation module 2.

[0066] For the mechanical skeleton 3, carbon nanotubes (CNT) coated with methacrylated hydrogel (GelMa) are prepared. GelMa is dissolved in DPBS, functionalized CNT is added to the GelMa pre-polymer solution, and the GelMa pre-polymer solution loaded with CNT is ultrasonically treated for 1 h. GelMa and photoinitiator PI are dissolved in DPBS, the temperature is 80°C, the duration is 10 min, the prepared CNT solution is added, and the mixture is incubated at 80°C for 10 min. The prepared GelMa-CNT is poured into a glass mold with the encapsulation layer 1 and the electric stimulation module 2, a PDMS stamp with grooves is placed at the predetermined position, and irradiation and curing are performed under the irradiation of 120 mW / cm2 ultraviolet light to obtain the mechanical skeleton 3.

[0067] For the living body module 4, after the neonatal rat is sacrificed, the hind limb muscle is isolated, washed, and chopped. The skeletal muscle tissue is digested with collagenase and trypsin, the cell suspension is filtered through a 70 μm cell strainer and a 40 μm cell strainer, and the cells are resuspended and pre-plated. The cells are inoculated on coated culture dishes, pre-plated again, and finally inoculated on the groove structure of the mechanical skeleton 3.

[0068] For the friction pad 5, two 3M tapes with a distance of the width of the friction pad are pasted on a glass slide, a 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl acrylate (TMSPMA) modified glass slide is placed on the tape, and different proportions of PDMS are dropped between the glass slide and the TMSPMA modified glass slide to manufacture a friction pad 5 composed of a small friction coefficient friction pad 51 and a large friction coefficient friction pad 52.

[0069] In summary, the application provides a bionic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot and a manufacturing method, which is composed of a packaging layer, an electric stimulation module, a mechanical skeleton, a living body and a friction pad. The living body provides driving force for the robot; the electric stimulation module applies electric stimulation to the living body for controlling the force output of the living body; the packaging layer is a photocuring film for packaging the electric stimulation module; the mechanical skeleton is a film with a groove structure for bearing the packaging layer and the electric stimulation module and loading the living body; and the friction pad provides directional friction force in the advancing direction of the robot.

[0070] The basic working principle is that under the stimulation of the electric stimulation module, the living body contracts, the mechanical skeleton deforms under the force of the living body, the front and rear friction pads of the robot provide directional friction force, and the robot moves forward.

[0071] In the crawling movement process, the living body contracts in turn under the electric stimulation of the electric stimulation module, the mechanical skeleton is stressed and bent, the friction pad provides directional friction force in the advancing direction, the robot deforms and advances, and thus the crawling movement is realized.

[0072] The application of the bionic mechanism and the multi-living body driving can provide a new idea for the design field of the crawling biological hybrid robot.

[0073] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more. In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be connected inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0074] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device including a series of steps or units does not have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but can include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0075] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there can be a middle component. When a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or a middle component can exist at the same time. When a component is considered to be "disposed on" another component, it can be directly disposed on the other component or a middle component can exist at the same time.

[0076] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0077] The specific examples described herein are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and within the scope of the application, which is defined by the appended claims.

[0078] The above merely illustrates the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the present application. Any simple modification, change, and equivalent structural change of the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present application still falls within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present application.

[0079] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and not to limit the present application. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, the ordinary skilled in the art can still modify or equivalently replace the specific implementation of the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Any modification or equivalent replacement that does not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application is within the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot, characterized in that, include: S1, place the electrical stimulation module (2) at the bottom of the glass mold, then pour in the polyethylene glycol prepolymer liquid and cure it with ultraviolet light to obtain the encapsulation layer (1). S2, flip the encapsulation layer (1) and the electrical stimulation module (2), pour in the methacrylated gelatin-carbon nanotube prepolymer liquid, place the PDMS stamp in the preset position and cure it with ultraviolet light to obtain a grooved mechanical skeleton (3). S3, a friction pad (5) is made by placing polydimethylsiloxane films with different proportions that have been pretreated with benzophenone solution on the mechanical skeleton (3). S4, rat suckling mouse primary skeletal muscle cells are planted in the grooves of the mechanical skeleton (3) to obtain the life module (4), and the overall biomimetic geometric caterpillar crawling biological hybrid robot is manufactured. The crawling bio-hybrid robot includes an encapsulation layer (1), an electrical stimulation module (2), a mechanical skeleton (3), a life form module (4), and a friction pad (5). The friction pad (5) is connected to the grounding point of the mechanical skeleton (3) by chemical substances. The life module (4) grows and adheres to the bottom groove of the mechanical skeleton (3). One side of the electrical stimulation module (2) is connected to the encapsulation layer (1), and the other side of the electrical stimulation module (2) is cured and adhered to the upper part of the mechanical skeleton (3) and provides external electrical stimulation to the life module (4). The electrical stimulation module (2) is arranged correspondingly to the life module (4).

2. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrical stimulation module (2) includes a first electrical stimulation patch (21), a second electrical stimulation patch (22) and a third electrical stimulation patch (23); the first electrical stimulation patch (21), the second electrical stimulation patch (22) and the third electrical stimulation patch (23) are arranged on the upper part of the telescopic part of the mechanical frame (3).

3. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The life form module (4) includes a first life form (41), a second life form (42), and a third life form (43). The first life form (41), the second life form (42) and the third life form (43) are arranged in the bottom groove of the telescopic part of the mechanical frame (3). The first electrical stimulation patch (21), the second electrical stimulation patch (22) and the third electrical stimulation patch (23) are respectively arranged corresponding to the first life form (41), the second life form (42) and the third life form (43).

4. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The friction pad (5) includes a friction pad with a small coefficient of friction (51) and a friction pad with a large coefficient of friction (52); the grounding points of the front and rear feet of the mechanical frame (3) are both provided with friction pads with a small coefficient of friction (51) and friction pads with a large coefficient of friction (52); along the forward direction of the mechanical frame (3), the friction pad with a small coefficient of friction (51) is arranged in front and the friction pad with a large coefficient of friction (52) is arranged in the rear.

5. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, During the contraction phase of the life form module (4), the friction pads (52) with a high coefficient of friction of the front feet of the mechanical skeleton (3) are grounded to act as anchors, and the friction pads (51) with a low coefficient of friction of the rear feet of the mechanical skeleton (3) are grounded to make the robot move forward. During the expansion phase of the life form module (4), the friction pads (52) with a high coefficient of friction of the rear feet of the mechanical skeleton (3) are grounded to provide anchoring, while the friction pads (51) with a low coefficient of friction of the front feet of the mechanical skeleton (3) are grounded to enable the robot to move forward.

6. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The friction pad (5) is connected to the mechanical skeleton (3) by treating it with benzophenone solution; the mechanical skeleton (3) is a methacrylated gelatin-carbon nanotube hydrogel layer, and the life module (4) is obtained by growing and differentiating primary skeletal muscle cells of rat suckling mice on the mechanical skeleton (3).

7. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the encapsulation layer (1) and the electrical stimulation module (2) are connected to the mechanical skeleton (3) through the photocuring effect of methacrylated gelatin-carbon nanotube hydrogel.

8. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrical stimulation module (2) is fixed on the encapsulation layer (1) by photocuring polyethylene glycol hydrogel; the encapsulation layer (1) is a polyethylene glycol hydrogel photocurable film.

9. The method for manufacturing a biomimetic geometric caterpillar-like crawling hybrid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The friction pad (5) uses a ratio of 10:1 between the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting compound and the curing agent to obtain a friction pad with a large coefficient of friction (52), and uses a ratio of 5:1 between the basic components of Dow Corning 184 potting compound and the curing agent to obtain a friction pad with a small coefficient of friction (51).

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