Conformational device, soft robotic pump, and soft robotic gripper

Abstract

The application discloses a metamorphic device, a soft robot pump and a soft robot gripper. The metamorphic device comprises a flexible wall and a plurality of hard parts. The flexible wall is enclosed to form a flexible cavity. The hard parts are attached to the flexible wall to form a driving area at the position where the flexible wall is attached to the hard parts. Adjacent hard parts have a gap therebetween, so that the part of the flexible wall located in the gap forms a crease structure. The plurality of hard parts can move away from each other and stretch around the crease structure under the action of an external force, so as to drive the flexible cavity to expand. The plurality of hard parts can also move close to each other and fold around the crease structure under the action of an external force, so as to drive the flexible cavity to contract. Since the hard driving area is formed at the position where the flexible wall is attached to the hard parts, the disorder of the flexible cavity when expanding can be reduced. Meanwhile, it is convenient to exert force on the hard parts of the metamorphic device, thereby providing a more optimal hardware basis for realizing programmed control of the metamorphic device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of soft robot technology, specifically to a modulatory device, a soft robot pump, and a soft robot gripper. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, origami mechanisms have been increasingly used in the field of soft robotics. Currently, some soft robots use origami mechanisms made of purely flexible materials. These robots typically have strong sealing properties, but during movement, the volume change is only achieved through fluid-driven expansion of the flexible cavity. Because the expansion of flexible materials is disordered, it is difficult to programmatically control the movement, and it is also impossible to apply force directly to the surface of the flexible material for precise motion control. Other robots use fully rigid origami structures, meaning that the hinges and connecting components are all rigid. However, these robots have relatively limited degrees of freedom of movement, and the hinges are often thick, which can affect their motion. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a variable structure device that combines a rigid structure with a flexible structure, as well as a soft robot pump and a soft robot with the variable structure device.

[0004] In a first aspect, one embodiment provides a modulating device, comprising:

[0005] A flexible wall that encloses a flexible cavity;

[0006] The flexible wall includes multiple rigid components that are attached to the flexible wall to form a driving region at the location where the flexible wall is attached to the rigid components; gaps are provided between adjacent rigid components so that the portion of the flexible wall located in the gap forms a crease structure.

[0007] The multiple rigid components can move away from each other and extend around the crease structure under the action of external force to drive the expansion of the flexible cavity; and the multiple rigid components can move closer to each other and fold around the crease structure under the action of external force to drive the contraction of the flexible cavity.

[0008] In one embodiment, the flexible cavity has multiple deformation regions, and the rigid component circumferentially surrounds the deformation regions; when the flexible cavity expands, the deformation regions are located on the surface of the variable structure device; when the flexible cavity contracts, the rigid component surrounds the deformation regions, and the deformation regions are enclosed within the rigid component.

[0009] In one embodiment, the rigid component includes a first variable component and a second variable component, the second variable component surrounding the circumference of the deformation region, and the first variable component surrounding the circumference of the second variable component and the deformation region; when the flexible cavity expands, the second variable component and the deformation region are located on the surface of the variable structure device; when the flexible cavity contracts, the first variable component surrounds and encloses the second variable component and the deformation region within the first variable component.

[0010] In one embodiment, the deformable region is quadrilateral, and the second deformable member is triangular; each side of the quadrilateral of the deformable region is provided with two second deformable members, and the two opposite sides of the two second deformable members are parallel;

[0011] Two second variable components located on the same side of the quadrilateral can rotate and fold around the crease structure, and the vertices of the second variable components located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are far from the deformation area can converge toward the central axis of the deformation area to drive the flexible cavity to contract.

[0012] Two second variable components located on the same side of the quadrilateral can rotate and extend around the crease structure, and the vertices of the second variable components located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are far from the deformation area can disperse away from the central axis of the deformation area, so as to drive the expansion of the flexible cavity.

[0013] In one embodiment, four first deformation members are disposed around each quadrilateral deformation region, and the four first deformation members are respectively located at the four vertices of the quadrilateral.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first variable component includes a central portion and an edge portion, the edge portions being arranged around the central portion and forming an angle with the central portion; both the edge portions and the central portion are triangular, and there are three edge portions, with the three sides of the central portion respectively connected to the three sides of the three edge portions in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0015] In one embodiment, the flexible wall encloses the deformed region.

[0016] In one embodiment, the deformable region is an opening that extends through the flexible cavity.

[0017] In a second aspect, one embodiment provides a soft robotic pump, including a drive device and a deformable device as described in any of the preceding claims; the flexible wall of the deformable device encloses the deformable region, and a fluid conduit communicating with the flexible cavity is provided on the deformable region; the drive device is connected to the rigid component to drive the rigid component to move; the rigid component can selectively drive the flexible cavity to expand or contract, thereby driving fluid to selectively enter or exit the flexible cavity from the fluid conduit.

[0018] Thirdly, in one embodiment, a soft robot gripper is provided, including a drive device and a deformable device as described in any of the preceding claims; the deformable region of the deformable device is an opening penetrating the flexible cavity, the drive device is connected to the rigid component to drive the rigid component to move; the rigid component can selectively drive the flexible cavity to expand or contract, so as to selectively grip or release an object in the opening through the rigid component around the opening.

[0019] According to the above embodiments, the manifold device, soft robot pump, and soft robot gripper include a flexible wall and multiple rigid components. The flexible wall encloses the manifold to form a flexible cavity. The rigid components are attached to the flexible wall to form a driving region at the location where the flexible wall and rigid components are attached. Gaps exist between adjacent rigid components, allowing the portion of the flexible wall located in the gap to form a crease structure. The multiple rigid components can move away from each other and extend around the crease structure under external force to cause the flexible cavity to expand. Furthermore, the multiple rigid components can move closer to each other and fold around the crease structure under external force to cause the flexible cavity to contract. On one hand, the addition of rigid components to the flexible wall creates a rigid driving region at the location where the flexible wall and rigid components are attached. This makes it less prone to irregular deformation during expansion in the area where the flexible wall and rigid components are attached, thus reducing the disorder during expansion of the flexible cavity. It also facilitates the application of force to the driving region of the manifold device, thereby providing a better hardware foundation for programmable control of the manifold device. On the other hand, since the fold structure of the variable mechanism is a flexible structure, it is beneficial to expand the degree of freedom of rigid parts when they move along the fold structure. Moreover, the fold structure is thinner and occupies less space compared with the traditional rigid shaft. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a deformable device with a closed deformation region during expansion in one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the variable-structure device during contraction in one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the deformable device with an opening in the deformable region in one embodiment of this application when it expands.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the variable device when one opening is open in one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the variable-structure device in one embodiment of this application, showing the separation of the rigid component and the flexible wall.

[0025] Reference numerals: 100, flexible wall; 110, crease structure; 200, flexible cavity; 210, deformation area; 211, opening; 300, rigid component; 310, first variable component; 311, central portion; 312, edge portion; 320, second variable component; 400, fluid conduit. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by associated similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to this application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of this application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0027] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are only for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0028] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1-5 This embodiment provides a modified device.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1-5 The variable structure device includes a flexible wall 100 and multiple rigid components 300.

[0031] A flexible wall 100 encloses a flexible cavity 200. A rigid member 300 is attached to the flexible wall 100 to form a driving region at the point where the flexible wall 100 and the rigid member 300 are attached. Gaps exist between adjacent rigid members 300 so that the portion of the flexible wall 100 located in the gap forms a crease structure 110. Multiple rigid members 300 can extend away from each other and around the crease structure 110 under external force to cause the flexible cavity 200 to expand. Furthermore, multiple rigid members 300 can move closer together and fold around the crease structure 110 under external force to cause the flexible cavity 200 to contract.

[0032] On the one hand, the addition of a rigid component 300 to the flexible wall 100 creates a rigid driving region at the point where the flexible wall 100 and the rigid component 300 are in contact. This makes it less prone to irregular deformation during expansion in the region where the flexible wall 100 and the rigid component 300 are in contact, thus reducing the disorder during the expansion of the flexible cavity 200. It also facilitates the application of force to the rigid component 300 of the variable mechanism, providing a better hardware foundation for programmable control of the variable mechanism. On the other hand, the fold structure 110 of the variable mechanism is a flexible structure, which helps to expand the degree of freedom of the rigid component 300 when moving along the fold structure 110. Furthermore, the fold structure 110 is thinner and occupies less space compared to a traditional rigid shaft.

[0033] It should be noted that, please refer to Figure 1 and 5 In fabricating the origami device, a flexible cavity 200 is first prepared. The flexible cavity 200 is prepared according to the maximum volume state of the designed origami device during expansion. The flexible cavity 200 is made of an elastic material, such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) or silicone. Next, the rigid component 300 is bonded to the surface of the flexible cavity 200 using an adhesive material. During bonding, the edges of the rigid component 300 are kept parallel, and a gap of approximately 1 mm is left at the crease structure 110 to form a flexible pivot. The shape of the rigid component 300 needs to be consistent with the shape of the folded surface in the designed origami structure, and the edges of the rigid component 300 need to be trimmed to reserve space for the crease structure 110. The thickness of the first origami component 310, which is used to be driven, can be designed to be relatively thick, for example, 3 mm, while the second origami component 320, which is only used to restrict movement, can be designed to be relatively thin, for example, 1 mm.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1-3In one embodiment, the flexible cavity 200 has a plurality of deformable regions 210, and the rigid member 300 surrounds the deformable regions 210 circumferentially. When the flexible cavity 200 expands, the deformable regions 210 are located on the surface of the variable structure device. When the flexible cavity 200 contracts, the rigid member 300 surrounds the deformable regions 210, and the deformable regions 210 are enclosed within the rigid member 300.

[0035] Since the rigid components 300 are arranged around the deformation region 210, when the rigid components 300 move away from each other and extend around the crease structure 110 under the action of external force, they can cause the flexible cavity 200 to expand, thereby causing the deformation region 210 to be exposed on the surface of the deformable device. When the rigid components 300 move closer to each other and fold around the crease structure 110 under the action of external force, they can cause the flexible cavity 200 to contract, thereby causing the deformation region 210 to be covered within the space enclosed by the rigid components 300.

[0036] It should be noted that, depending on the specific application scenario of the deformation device, the deformation area 210 may be covered by the flexible wall 100 or may form a through opening 211.

[0037] For example, please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the flexible wall 100 closes the deformation region 210.

[0038] Because the flexible wall 100 encloses the deformation region 210, the expansion and contraction of the flexible cavity 200 caused by the rigid component 300 can change the fluid pressure inside the flexible cavity 200. This allows the variable-structure device to be applied to soft robot pumps, pumping fluid into or out of the flexible cavity 200 through the pressure difference between the flexible cavity 200 and the outside world.

[0039] For example, please refer to Figure 3 and 4 In one embodiment, the deformable region 210 is an opening 211 that penetrates the flexible cavity 200.

[0040] Since the deformable region 210 is an opening 211 that penetrates the flexible cavity 200, an object can at least partially extend into the flexible cavity 200 through the opening 211, thus enabling the deformable device to be applied to a soft robot gripper. When gripping an object, the opening 211 of the flexible cavity 200 is brought close to the object to be gripped, and then the rigid components 300 around the opening 211 are driven to move closer or further apart, thereby achieving the gripping or release of the object within the opening 211.

[0041] It should be noted that when the flexible cavity expands by 200, please refer to... Figure 3 This can be achieved by all rigid components 300 moving, causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand as a whole, opening all openings 211 of the flexible cavity 200. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 4Alternatively, only a portion of the rigid component 300 may move, causing the flexible cavity 200 to partially expand, thereby opening one opening 211 of the flexible cavity 200.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 1-4 In one embodiment, the rigid component 300 includes a first variable component 310 and a second variable component 320. The second variable component 320 surrounds the deformation region 210 circumferentially, and the first variable component 310 surrounds both the second variable component 320 and the deformation region 210 circumferentially. When the flexible cavity 200 expands, the second variable component 320 and the deformation region 210 are located on the surface of the variable component device. When the flexible cavity 200 contracts, the first variable component 310 surrounds and encloses the second variable component 320 and the deformation region 210 within the first variable component 310.

[0043] When the first variable components 310 move away from each other and extend around the crease structure 110 under the action of external force, it can cause the second variable components 320 to move away from each other and extend around the crease structure 110, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand, and thus placing the second variable components 320 and the deformation area 210 on the surface of the variable structure device. Conversely, when the first variable components 310 move closer to each other and fold around the crease structure 110 under the action of external force, it can cause the second variable components 320 to move closer to each other and fold around the crease structure 110, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to contract, and thus enclosing the second variable components 320 and the deformation area 210 within the space enclosed by the first variable components 310.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 and 5 In one embodiment, the deformation region 210 is quadrilateral, and the second deformation member 320 is triangular. Each side of the quadrilateral of the deformation region 210 is provided with two second deformation members 320, and the opposite sides of the two second deformation members 320 are parallel. The two second deformation members 320 located on the same side of the quadrilateral can rotate and fold around the crease structure 110, and the vertices of the second deformation members 320 located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are away from the deformation region 210 can converge towards the central axis of the deformation region 210 to cause the flexible cavity 200 to contract. The two second deformation members 320 located on the same side of the quadrilateral can rotate and extend around the crease structure 110, and the vertices of the second deformation members 320 located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are away from the deformation region 210 can disperse away from the central axis of the deformation region 210 to cause the flexible cavity 200 to expand.

[0045] When the flexible cavity 200 needs to expand, the two second variable members 320 located on the same side of the quadrilateral rotate and extend around the fold structure 110 between them, and the vertices of the second variable members 320 located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are away from the deformation region 210 disperse away from the central axis of the deformation region 210, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand. When the flexible cavity 200 needs to contract, the two second variable members 320 located on the same side of the quadrilateral rotate and fold around the fold structure 110 between them, and the vertices of the second variable members 320 located on different sides of the quadrilateral that are away from the deformation region 210 can converge towards the central axis of the deformation region 210, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to contract.

[0046] For details, please refer to Figure 1 The second variable member 320 on the four sides of the quadrilateral can extend and fold around the crease structure 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d respectively, and the vertices Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 of the second variable member 320 on the four sides of the quadrilateral away from the deformation region 210 can converge or disperse toward the central axis L1 of the deformation region 210.

[0047] Of course, in other embodiments, the shape of the second variable member 320 is not limited to a triangle; the second variable member 320 can also be a rectangle, trapezoid, or other suitable shape. For example, please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 3 The second variable component 320 includes a triangular second variable component 320a and a trapezoidal second variable component 320b.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1-4 In one embodiment, each quadrilateral deformation region 210 is surrounded by four first deformation members 310, and the four first deformation members 310 are respectively located at the four vertices of the quadrilateral.

[0049] The second variable component 320 and the deformation region 210 are surrounded by four first variable components 310, so that the movement of the first variable components 310 can drive the movement of the second variable component 320, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand or contract.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 1-4 In one embodiment, the first variable member 310 includes a central portion 311 and edge portions 312. The edge portions 312 are arranged around the central portion 311, forming an angle between them. Both the edge portions 312 and the central portion 311 are triangular. There are three edge portions 312, and the three sides of the central portion 311 are respectively connected to the three sides of the three edge portions 312.

[0051] Because an angle is formed between the central portion 311 and the edge portion 312 of the first variable member 310, the surface of the first variable member 310 is transformed from a plane into multiple folded surfaces forming an angle. On the one hand, this makes the shape of the variable device closer to a sphere; on the other hand, it facilitates the application of forces with different directions on the central portion 311 and the edge portion 312. Simultaneously, because the triangular structure is relatively stable, the triangular structure of the first variable member 310 and the second variable member 320 is more reliable. Of course, in other embodiments, the shape of the first variable member 310 and the internal variable components is not limited to a triangle; it can also be a quadrilateral, a pentagon, or an irregular shape, etc.

[0052] On the other hand, this embodiment also provides a soft robotic pump.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1-5 The soft robotic pump includes a drive unit and the aforementioned variable mechanism.

[0054] The flexible wall 100 of the variable structure device encloses the deformation region 210, and a fluid conduit 400 communicating with the flexible cavity 200 is provided on the deformation region 210. A driving device is connected to the rigid component 300 to drive the rigid component 300 to move. The rigid component 300 can selectively drive the flexible cavity 200 to expand or contract, thereby driving fluid to selectively enter or exit the flexible cavity 200 from the fluid conduit 400.

[0055] When fluid needs to be pumped into the flexible cavity 200, the rigid components 300 are driven to move away from each other and extend around the fold structure 110 via a drive device, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand. This reduces the fluid pressure inside the flexible cavity 200, allowing the fluid to flow into the flexible cavity 200 from the fluid pipe 400 under the action of the pressure difference. Conversely, when fluid needs to be pumped out of the flexible cavity 200, the rigid components 300 are driven to move closer together and fold around the fold structure 110 via a drive device, causing the flexible cavity 200 to contract. This increases the fluid pressure inside the flexible cavity 200, allowing the fluid to be discharged from the flexible cavity 200 from the fluid pipe 400 under the action of the pressure difference.

[0056] Specifically, two fluid conduits 400 can be provided on the variable-structure device. One of the fluid conduits 400 is used to supply fluid into the flexible cavity 200, and the other is used to supply fluid out of the flexible cavity 200. When the flexible cavity 200 expands, the fluid conduit 400 supplying fluid into the flexible cavity 200 is opened, and the fluid conduit 400 supplying fluid out of the flexible cavity 200 is closed, allowing fluid to flow into the flexible cavity 200 from the open fluid conduit 400. Conversely, when the flexible cavity 200 contracts, the fluid conduit 400 supplying fluid into the flexible cavity 200 is closed, and the fluid conduit 400 supplying fluid out of the flexible cavity 200 is opened, allowing fluid to discharge out of the flexible cavity 200 from the open fluid conduit 400.

[0057] On the other hand, this embodiment also provides a soft robotic gripper.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 1-5 The soft robot gripper includes a drive unit and the aforementioned modulator.

[0059] The deformation region 210 of the variable structure device is an opening 211 that passes through the flexible cavity 200. The driving device is connected to the rigid component 300 to drive the rigid component 300 to move. The rigid component 300 can selectively drive the flexible cavity 200 to expand or contract, so as to selectively clamp or release an object in the opening 211 through the rigid component 300 around the opening 211.

[0060] When an object needs to be clamped, the driving device drives the rigid components 300 to move away from each other and extend around the fold structure 110, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to expand, which opens the opening 211 of the flexible cavity 200. When the opening 211 approaches the object, the driving device again drives the rigid components 300 to move closer together and fold around the fold structure 110, thereby causing the flexible cavity 200 to contract, thus clamping the object inside the opening 211 with the rigid components 300. Similarly, when it is necessary to release the clamped object, the driving device again drives the rigid components 300 to open, thereby releasing the clamped object.

[0061] The above examples illustrate the present invention only to aid in understanding it and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the principles of this invention.

Claims

1. A conformational device, characterized by, The application relates to a flexible cavity device, comprising: a flexible wall enclosing a flexible cavity; a plurality of hard parts in contact with the flexible wall to form a driving area at the contact position of the flexible wall and the hard parts; a gap between adjacent hard parts, so that the part of the flexible wall in the gap forms a crease structure; the plurality of hard parts can be stretched away from each other and around the crease structure under external force to drive the flexible cavity to expand; and the plurality of hard parts can be folded towards each other and around the crease structure under external force to drive the flexible cavity to contract; the flexible cavity has a plurality of deformation areas, and the hard parts are arranged around the periphery of the deformation areas; when the flexible cavity expands, the deformation areas are located on the surface of the deformation device; when the flexible cavity contracts, the hard parts are enclosed, and the deformation areas are covered in the hard parts; the hard parts comprise first deformation members and second deformation members, the second deformation members are arranged around the periphery of the deformation areas, and the first deformation members are arranged around the periphery of the second deformation members and the deformation areas; when the flexible cavity expands, the second deformation members and the deformation areas are located on the surface of the deformation device; when the flexible cavity contracts, the first deformation members are enclosed, and the second deformation members and the deformation areas are covered in the first deformation members.

2. The allosteric device of claim 1, wherein, the deformation areas are quadrilaterals, and the second deformation members are triangles; each side of the quadrilateral of the deformation area is provided with two second deformation members, and the opposite two sides of the two second deformation members are parallel; the two second deformation members located on the same side of the quadrilateral can be folded around the crease structure, and the vertices of the second deformation members located on different sides of the quadrilateral and away from the deformation areas can be gathered towards the central axis of the deformation area to drive the flexible cavity to contract; the two second deformation members located on the same side of the quadrilateral can be stretched around the crease structure, and the vertices of the second deformation members located on different sides of the quadrilateral and away from the deformation areas can be dispersed away from the central axis of the deformation area to drive the flexible cavity to expand.

3. The allosteric device of claim 2, wherein, four first deformation members are arranged around each quadrilateral deformation area, and the four first deformation members are located at the four vertices of the quadrilateral respectively.

4. The allosteric device of claim 3, wherein, the first deformation members comprise a central part and an edge part, the edge part is arranged around the central part, and an included angle is formed between the edge part and the central part; the edge part and the central part are both triangles, the edge part is arranged in three, and three edges of the central part are connected to three edges of the three edge parts one by one.

5. The allosteric device of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, the flexible wall encloses the deformation areas.

6. The allosteric device of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, the deformation areas are openings penetrating through the flexible cavity.

7. A soft robotic pump, characterized by, The application relates to a driving device and a shape-changing device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4; the shape-changing device has a flexible wall enclosing a deformation region, and a fluid conduit is arranged on the deformation region and communicates with the flexible cavity; the driving device is connected with the hard member to drive the hard member to move; the hard member can selectively drive the flexible cavity to expand or contract, so as to selectively drive the fluid to enter or discharge from the fluid conduit into the flexible cavity.

8. A soft robotic gripper, comprising: The application relates to a driving device and a shape-changing device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4; the shape-changing device has a deformation region which is an opening through the flexible cavity, and the driving device is connected with the hard member to drive the hard member to move; the hard member can selectively drive the flexible cavity to expand or contract, so as to selectively clamp or release the object in the opening through the hard member around the opening.

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