Macro-micro driven fiber continuum robot and method of making the same
By driving optical fibers to connect macro-micro robots, the decoupling of macro and micro motion is achieved, solving the crosstalk problem between large-scale motion and high precision, and is suitable for precise operations in confined spaces.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411502273.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-10-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing multi-segment robots suffer from motion crosstalk problems between large-range motion and high precision, and traditional tendon-driven and fluid/pneumatic-driven robots are not suitable for high-precision tasks.
A driving optical fiber is used to connect the macrorobot and the microrobot. The macrorobot achieves deflection through the mechanical pulling of the driving optical fiber, and the microrobot achieves axial contraction through the laser excitation provided by the driving optical fiber. Combining the pulling/releasing of the optical fiber and the light transmission of the laser, decoupled macro and micro operations are achieved.
It achieves high-precision tasks from macroscale to microscale, is capable of precise cross-scale movement in a small space, and is suitable for in vivo animal research and intracavitary intervention.
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Figure CN119238460B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art
[0002] Continuum robots, as a unique type of robot, have attracted widespread attention. Compared with traditional rigid robots, continuum robots have a flexible structure that enables them to bend, curl, and stretch, adapting to different working environments and tasks. They also possess multiple degrees of freedom and can flexibly transform in three-dimensional space, enabling more complex operations and movements. Due to their flexibility, continuum robots can perform operations in confined or complex spaces and adapt to working environments with diverse shapes and surfaces, such as medical surgery, rescue search, and aircraft engine maintenance, possessing broad application potential. Intracavitary and intraluminal interventions through natural body orifices are an emerging trend in medicine, further supporting the future of early intervention and precision surgery. This has inspired the development of small continuum robots capable of freely navigating narrow and tortuous environments.
[0003] The existing patent document with publication number CN110402096B discloses a mobile robotic device that can drive itself forward and backward to anchor and manipulate itself when located in a tubular structure (200) (for example, the human colon or any structure including two opposing walls (202, 204)). In this regard, the device is made of two or three segments (102, 104, 106) covered in an elastic material and driven by an internal actuation mechanism. All of these segments (102, 104, 106) have a concertina structure that enables shortening and lengthening movements. In addition to length contraction and extension, at least one of the end segments (102, 106) can bend at a certain angle away from the longitudinal axis so that it becomes wedged or stuck between the walls (202, 204) of the tubular structure (200). In other words, the end segments (102, 106) can perform both bending and contraction and extension movements. The device (1) is moved by alternately clamping the segments (102, 104, 106) between the walls (202, 204) of a tubular structure (200) and then contracting or extending the segments (102, 104, 106) to slowly move the device (1) forward with a more efficient maneuver.
[0004] The trade-off between large-scale motion and high precision, coupled with the attendant actuation crosstalk, presents a significant challenge. Crosstalk between macro- and microscopic motion is a fundamental challenge for both macro- and microscopic motion. Conventional multi-segment serial robots exhibit significant mutual coupling between adjacent segments, making both tendon-driven robots and fluid / pneumatic-driven robots unsuitable for high-precision tasks. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In view of the defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot and a manufacturing method thereof.
[0006] According to the present invention, a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot is provided, comprising a macro robot, a driving optical fiber, and a micro robot, wherein one end of the driving optical fiber is fixedly connected to the macro robot, and the other end of the driving optical fiber passes through and out of the internal cavity of the macro robot to connect to the micro robot;
[0007] The macro robot realizes deflection motion under the mechanical pulling of the driving optical fiber, and the micro robot realizes axial contraction under the laser excitation provided by the driving optical fiber.
[0008] Preferably, the macro robot comprises an outer supporting structure and a multi-lumen tube, wherein the multi-lumen tube is distributed within the outer supporting structure and comprises a plurality of internal lumens.
[0009] Preferably, the outer support structure comprises a notched flexible skeleton.
[0010] Preferably, the multi-lumen tube comprises a heat-drawn multi-lumen soft fiber.
[0011] Preferably, the microrobot comprises a plurality of light driving units, and the plurality of light driving units are distributed in a circular pattern;
[0012] The number of the optical drive units, the number of the internal cavities of the macro robot, and the number of driving optical fibers are the same. Any driving optical fiber passes through the internal cavity of any macro robot and passes out to connect to any optical drive unit.
[0013] Preferably, the optical driving unit includes a liquid crystal elastomer, the liquid crystal elastomer includes a hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber, and one end of the driving optical fiber connected to the microrobot is arranged in the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber.
[0014] Preferably, the diameter of the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber is comprised between 300 μm and 400 μm;
[0015] The interior of the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber is filled with transparent low-modulus silica gel.
[0016] Preferably, the microrobot further comprises an upper mounting block and a lower mounting block, the upper mounting block and the lower mounting block are connected via an optical drive unit, and the lower mounting block is connected to the macrorobot.
[0017] Preferably, the driving optical fiber comprises a multimode optical fiber.
[0018] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot, comprising the following steps:
[0019] The production of the macro robot includes the thermal drawing of the multi-lumen tube and the production of the external support structure. The multi-lumen tube is drawn into a multi-lumen soft fiber using thermal drawing technology, and the external support structure is shaped into a notched flexible skeleton using femtosecond laser cutting technology. The multi-lumen soft fiber is then placed in the external support structure.
[0020] Fabrication of the microrobot includes preparing hollow liquid crystal elastic fibers, generating a first network of liquid crystal elastic fibers through a thiol-Michael addition reaction, applying mechanical stress to the liquid crystal elastic fibers to orient mesogen molecules and define the nematic length, cross-linking under ultraviolet irradiation to form a second network of liquid crystal elastic fibers, inserting a driving optical fiber into each hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber, and providing built-in stimulation;
[0021] The driving optical fiber is inserted into the multi-cavity soft fiber of the macro robot to connect the macro robot and the micro robot.
[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0023] 1. The present invention uses a driving optical fiber as the driving wire of the macro robot to achieve the deflection of the macro robot. It also serves as a light-guiding structure to provide a light excitation source for the micro robot, thereby adjusting the height and angle of the micro robot and realizing cross-scale macro-micro motion, thereby achieving high-precision tasks from macro scale to micro scale.
[0024] 2. The present invention uses a driving optical fiber to connect the macro robot and the micro robot. The micro robot and the macro robot are integrated together. The pulling / releasing of the optical fiber and the light transmission of the laser can be performed simultaneously, and the macro and micro operations can be decoupled for intervention and operation.
[0025] 3. The present invention adopts a macro robot using a multi-cavity soft fiber and a micro robot using an LCE fiber, drives the optical fiber to penetrate into the multi-cavity soft fiber and out, and then penetrates into the LCE fiber to form a submillimeter fiber robot. By combining the decoupled macro and micro motions, precise cross-scale motion from a few millimeters to tens of microns can be achieved, further realizing research in animals and achieving the positioning accuracy of precise microsurgery in intracavitary or intracavitary interventions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] Other features, objects, and advantages of the application will become apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a continuum robot embodying the present application;
[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a continuum robot embodying the present application;
[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a continuum robot embodying the present application;
[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a micro robot embodying the present application;
[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a micro robot embodying the present application.
[0032] The figures show:
[0033] Upper mounting block 1
[0034] Optical drive unit 2
[0035] Lower mounting block 3
[0036] Multi-lumen tube 4
[0037] Outer support structure 5
[0038] Drive optical fiber 6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] The application will now be described in detail by way of specific embodiments. The following examples are intended to further illustrate the application and are not intended to limit the scope of the application in any way. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. These are intended to be within the scope of the application.
[0040] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 A macro-micro driving fiber continuum robot according to the present application comprises a macro robot, a drive optical fiber 6 and a micro robot. One end of the drive optical fiber 6 is fixedly connected to the macro robot, and the other end of the drive optical fiber 6 penetrates into and out of the internal cavity of the macro robot and is connected to the micro robot. The macro robot realizes deflection movement under the mechanical pulling of the drive optical fiber 6, and the micro robot realizes axial contraction under the laser excitation provided by the drive optical fiber 6.
[0041] The drive fiber 6 runs through the macrorobot's internal cavity and is fixed to the macrorobot at the distal end. After passing through the macrorobot, the exposed portion of the drive fiber 6 is inserted into the microrobot. The drive fiber 6 serves as the macrorobot's driving filament. Mechanically stretching the drive fiber 6 achieves deflection of the macrorobot. The drive fiber 6 also serves as a light-guiding structure, providing a source of light excitation. Laser light is injected into the microrobot through the drive fiber 6. The microrobot achieves axial contraction under the excitation of the laser, and the distal end of the microrobot produces corresponding movement, thereby adjusting the height and angle of the microrobot. The microrobot and macrorobot are integrated together, and the pulling / releasing of the fiber and the light transmission of the laser can be performed simultaneously, realizing cross-scale macro-micro motion, thereby achieving high-precision tasks from the macroscale to the microscale.
[0042] Specifically, if Figure 3 As shown, the macro robot includes an outer support structure 5 and a multi-lumen tube 4, which is distributed within the outer support structure 5 and includes multiple internal cavities. The multi-lumen tube 4 includes a heat-drawn multi-lumen soft fiber, preferably a heat-drawn multi-lumen tube 4, so that a slender fiber with multiple cavities can be easily manufactured. For example, a three-lumen thermoplastic SEBS tube can be heat-drawn into the required three-lumen continuous fiber, which serves as the main body of the macro robot and provides cavities for the drive optical fiber 6. The outer support structure 5 includes a notched flexible skeleton. In order to enhance the rigidity of the macro robot, a femtosecond laser is used to shape a polyimide tube with an outer diameter of 1 mm and a wall thickness of 0.03 mm into a notched flexible skeleton to support the SEBS matrix. During assembly, multiple drive optical fibers 6 are connected to the micro robot and then pass through the internal cavity of the macro robot. Each drive optical fiber 6 is connected to the distal end of the macro robot. By mechanically adjusting the relative lengths of the multiple drive optical fibers 6, the macro robot can be controlled to achieve deflection movement of the macro robot. Macro robots are primarily operated in open-loop or teleoperation modes, but can also be controlled in closed-loop mode by using cameras to identify specific points.
[0043] Specifically, if Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the micro robot includes a plurality of light driving units 2, which are distributed in a circle. The number of light driving units 2, the number of internal cavities of the macro robot, and the number of driving optical fibers 6 are the same. Any driving optical fiber 6 penetrates into the internal cavity of any macro robot and penetrates out to connect any light driving unit 2. The light driving unit 2 is a light responsive unit. The light responsive material will realize axial contraction under the excitation of laser. After the driving optical fiber 6 penetrates through the macro robot, the exposed part is inserted into the light responsive unit of the micro robot. When laser is injected into the light responsive unit through the driving optical fiber 6, the light responsive unit can realize axial contraction, so that the end of the micro robot produces corresponding movement. The light driving unit 2 includes a liquid crystal elastomer, and the liquid crystal elastomer includes a hollow liquid crystal elastomer fiber. One end of the driving optical fiber 6 connected to the micro robot is arranged in the hollow liquid crystal elastomer fiber. The light driving unit 2 preferably uses a 488 nm wavelength responsive liquid crystal elastomer material, which has an absorption response center wavelength of 488 nm, so as to realize the transition from an anisotropic state to an isotropic state and realize axial contraction. The diameter of the hollow liquid crystal elastomer fiber includes 300 microns to 400 microns. The hollow liquid crystal elastomer fiber is filled with transparent low modulus silica gel, which is conducive to the deflection movement of the macro robot driven by the driving optical fiber.
[0044] More specifically, the micro robot further includes an upper mounting block 1 and a lower mounting block 3. The upper mounting block 1 is connected to the lower mounting block 3 through the light driving unit 2, and the lower mounting block 3 is connected to the macro robot. Taking three light driving units 2 as an example, the micro robot uses three liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers as drivable linear units. The micro robot is composed of three light driving units 2, forming a micro parallel robot. The LCE optical fibers (length 1.0-1.6 mm, outer diameter about 300 μm) are arranged in a ring at an interval of 120°. The two ends of each LCE optical fiber are fixed on the upper mounting block 1 and the lower mounting block 3, respectively. The contraction of these LCE fibers promotes the three-degree-of-freedom movement of the upper mounting block 1. In order to realize precise motion control, a kinematic model of the micro driver is developed for motion simulation and control. The inverse kinematics model is established by using the constant curvature model, and the mapping relationship between the task space and the actuator space is established. The motion of the micro robot is guided by open-loop or teleoperation.
[0045] Specifically, the driving optical fiber 6 includes a multi-mode optical fiber. The driving optical fiber 6 includes various forms and sizes of optical fibers, and preferably a common 125 / 62.5 μm size multi-mode optical fiber, which provides a channel for laser transmission. The macro robot can reach the target space through a tortuous environment. In order to reduce the crosstalk related to the distal micro robot and reduce the overall size of the optical fiber robot, the driving optical fiber 6 of the micro robot is used as the driving wire of the macro robot.
[0046] Neither tendon-driven robots nor fluid / pneumatic-driven robots are suitable for high-precision tasks. Unlike them, the light transmitted to the distal segment through the optical fiber will not interfere with the preceding segment. Based on this principle, the robot designed by the present invention can achieve macro-micro decoupled motion. Once the microrobot and the macrorobot are integrated together, the pulling / releasing of the optical fiber and the light transmission of the laser can be performed simultaneously, thereby achieving high-precision tasks from the macroscale to the microscale. The present invention proposes a sub-millimeter-scale fiber microrobot (~1 mm) that can decouple macro-micro operations for intervention and operation. The driving optical fiber 6 can act as a mechanical tendon to drive the macro-continuum robot, and can also act as an optical waveguide to drive the micro-parallel robot based on liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) by transmitting light. The decoupled macro and micro motions are combined to achieve precise cross-scale motion from a few millimeters to tens of microns. It can be applied in in vivo research on animals to achieve positioning accuracy for precise microsurgery in animal cavities or intracavitary interventions.
[0047] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot, comprising the following steps:
[0048] The production of the macro robot includes the hot drawing of the multi-lumen tube 4 and the production of the outer support structure 5. The multi-lumen tube 4 is drawn into a multi-lumen soft fiber using hot wire drawing technology, and the outer support structure 5 is shaped into a notched flexible skeleton using femtosecond laser cutting technology. The multi-lumen soft fiber is then placed in the outer support structure 5.
[0049] Fabrication of the microrobot includes preparing hollow liquid crystal elastic fibers, generating a first network of liquid crystal elastic fibers through a thiol-Michael addition reaction, applying mechanical stress to the liquid crystal elastic fibers to orient mesogen molecules and define nematic length, cross-linking under ultraviolet irradiation to form a second network of liquid crystal elastic fibers, and inserting a driving optical fiber 6 into each hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber to provide built-in stimulation;
[0050] The driving optical fiber 6 is inserted into the multi-cavity soft fiber of the macro robot to connect the macro robot and the micro robot.
[0051] Specifically, the macrorobotic fabrication process utilizes hot wire drawing and femtosecond laser cutting techniques. First, a hot-drawn multi-cavity soft fiber was prepared to provide a channel for the drive fiber 6. Unlike additive and subtractive manufacturing, hot wire drawing (also known as isobaric manufacturing) can transform centimeter-scale preforms into long, thin fibers on the millimeter or micron scale while preserving the cross-sectional structure. The hot drawing process requires adjusting the heat, feed rate, and drawing speed to achieve appropriate viscous flow. Therefore, before the drawing step, the rheological properties of SEBS were studied at various temperatures, shear strains, and angular frequencies. A temperature sweep from 20°C to 200°C reveals that the material transitions from a solid to a liquid state with increasing temperature. Below the transition temperature of approximately 136°C, the material's storage modulus G' is significantly higher than the loss modulus G", indicating that the material exhibits solid properties. Above the transition temperature, the loss modulus G" is greater than the storage modulus G', indicating that the material exhibits fluid properties. Therefore, very high temperatures should be avoided during the drawing process, as fluid properties can cause the preform to shrink along its cross-sectional structure. Logarithmic plots of the storage modulus and loss modulus versus angular frequency at 145°C, 150°C, and 200°C demonstrate a significant effect of angular frequency on the viscous flow state. Shear strain experiments at 145°C show that the loss modulus remains greater than the storage modulus, indicating residual viscous flow. The complex viscosity decreases with increasing temperature. These rheological experiments can serve as a reference for the hot stretching process. The preform was then hot stretched into fibers at a ratio of approximately 30, resulting in fibers with an outer diameter of approximately 1 mm.
[0052] To enhance the macrorobot's rigidity, a polyimide tube with an outer diameter of 1 mm and a wall thickness of 0.03 mm was cut using femtosecond laser cutting technology to form a notched flexible skeleton supporting the SEBS matrix. During assembly, multiple drive optical fibers (6) were connected to the LCE fiber and then threaded through the macrorobot's internal lumen. Each drive optical fiber (6) was connected to the distal end of the macrorobot. Mechanically adjusting the relative lengths of the multiple optical fibers allowed control of the macrorobot.
[0053] Driving mechanism of the microrobot optical drive unit 2LCE:
[0054] LCEs are cross-linked liquid crystal polymer networks that respond to external stimuli. The strain generated by LCEs can induce large deformations in a given composite structure. These cross-linked liquid crystal polymers combine the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals with the elasticity of the polymer network. In fact, the conformation of the polymer backbone is directly related to the orientation of the liquid crystal mesogens. By changing the orientation of the liquid crystal mesogens, a macroscopically isotropic phase can be induced from an anisotropic nematic phase. Furthermore, photosensitive groups can mechanically disrupt the order of the liquid crystal mesogens through a reversible photochemical cis-trans isomerization reaction induced by light. Their central absorption wavelength is approximately 488 nm, and molecular isomerization occurs upon irradiation at this wavelength. Therefore, the light-induced LCE actuation mechanism is achieved by modulating the molecular alignment within the liquid crystal polymer network. To achieve controllable and reliable actuation, LCE fibers with built-in light stimulation were designed. Light-guiding fibers were placed into the hollow LCE fibers. Light emitted from these light-guiding fibers rearranged the mesogen molecules within the LCE fibers, causing the LCE to contract axially. Controlling the intensity of the emitted light enables programmable contraction.
[0055] Specifically, the active LCE fibers were prepared using a two-step reaction method. The first step was to generate a multi-domain LCE by a thiol-Michael addition reaction, and the second step was to fix the domain structure. In the first step, after 24 hours at room temperature, the fibers were placed in an oven at 80°C for another 24 hours to form a first network of hollow LCE fibers. In the second step, mechanical stress was applied to the LCE fibers to orient the mesogen molecules and define the nematic length. Subsequently, cross-linking was performed under ultraviolet irradiation to form a second network. An optical fiber was then inserted into each hollow LCE fiber to provide built-in stimulation. The single-domain / multi-domain state can be observed using a polarized optical microscope by exploiting the birefringence effect of liquid crystals (which affects the refraction angle of light). Once the LCE main chain molecules are controlled by order-disorder transition, controllable and reliable shrinkage can be achieved.
[0056] LCE fibers can absorb light energy from the optical fiber to generate large strains. Their actuation performance depends on strain rate, input-output relationship, actuation performance, response time, hysteresis, and repeatability. A series of characterization tests were conducted to optimize their actuation performance for precise robotic manipulation. First, the actuation performance was investigated by varying the stretch ratio, which is related to mechanical properties, during the second crosslinking process. The stretch ratio during the second crosslinking process is correlated with mechanical properties when achieving large strains in relatively small fibers. Therefore, during the second crosslinking process, they were preferably stretched to 5 times their original length. Subsequently, light stimulation was applied to these fibers, and length changes with varying light intensity were observed. The contraction length of the LCE fibers increased monotonically with increasing light intensity and stretch ratio. The contraction displacement of the LCE fibers was measured at various power input intensities. The power intensity was cyclically swept from zero to maximum, and the tip displacement of the LCE fibers showed a near-linear relationship with the input power duty cycle. No significant hysteresis was observed over five cycles of testing. Cyclic actuation measurements showed that, after responding to the light signal, the LCE fibers reached 80% of their total displacement in approximately 2 seconds and reached equilibrium in approximately 6 seconds. In the reproducible cyclic test of LCE fibers, no obvious fatigue phenomenon was observed after 300 cycles.
[0057] Furthermore, each controlled driving fiber 6 is connected to a light source via a switch to achieve on / off control of the optical path. The switch then generates a periodic switching signal (pulse-width modulation signal) with a variable duty cycle to influence the duration and interval of the output illumination. Ultimately, the output illumination determines the contraction strain rate of the LCE fiber, which is used to control the continuous motion of the LCE-based microactuator.
[0058] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.
[0059] The above describes specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. The embodiments of this application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other in any manner unless there is a conflict.
Claims
1. A macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot, characterized in that: It comprises a macro robot, a driving optical fiber (6) and a micro robot, wherein one end of the driving optical fiber (6) is fixedly connected to the macro robot, and the other end of the driving optical fiber (6) penetrates into and out of the internal cavity of the macro robot and is connected to the micro robot; The macro robot realizes deflection motion under the mechanical pulling of the driving optical fiber (6), and the micro robot realizes axial contraction under the optical excitation provided by the driving optical fiber (6).
2. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The macro robot comprises an outer supporting structure (5) and a multi-lumen tube (4), wherein the multi-lumen tube (4) is distributed within the outer supporting structure (5), and the multi-lumen tube (4) comprises a plurality of internal cavities.
3. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer support structure (5) comprises a notched flexible skeleton.
4. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multi-lumen tube (4) comprises a heat-drawn multi-lumen soft fiber.
5. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microrobot comprises a plurality of light drive units (2), wherein the plurality of light drive units (2) are distributed in a circumferential manner; The number of the optical drive units (2), the number of the internal cavities of the macro robot, and the number of the driving optical fibers (6) are the same, and any driving optical fiber (6) penetrates into the internal cavity of any macro robot and passes out to connect to any optical drive unit (2).
6. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The optical drive unit (2) includes a liquid crystal elastomer, which includes a hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber, and one end of a driving optical fiber (6) connected to the microrobot is arranged in the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber.
7. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The diameter of the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber is comprised between 300 microns and 400 microns; The interior of the hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber is filled with transparent low-modulus silica gel.
8. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The micro robot further comprises an upper mounting block (1) and a lower mounting block (3); the upper mounting block (1) and the lower mounting block (3) are connected via an optical drive unit (2); and the lower mounting block (3) is connected to the macro robot.
9. The macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving optical fiber (6) comprises a multimode optical fiber.
10. A method for manufacturing a macro-micro driven fiber-micro continuum robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: The macro robot is manufactured, including the thermal drawing of a multi-lumen tube (4) and the manufacture of an external support structure (5), wherein the multi-lumen tube (4) is drawn into a multi-lumen soft fiber using a thermal drawing technique, the external support structure (5) is molded into a notched flexible skeleton using a femtosecond laser cutting technique, and the multi-lumen soft fiber is arranged in the external support structure (5); The fabrication of the microrobot includes preparing hollow liquid crystal elastic fibers, generating a first network of liquid crystal elastic fibers by a thiol-Michael addition reaction, applying mechanical stress to the liquid crystal elastic fibers to orient mesogen molecules and define nematic length, cross-linking under ultraviolet irradiation to form a second network of liquid crystal elastic fibers, inserting a driving optical fiber (6) into each hollow liquid crystal elastic fiber, and providing built-in stimulation; The driving optical fiber (6) is inserted into the multi-cavity soft fiber of the macro robot to connect the macro robot and the micro robot.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
robotic devices
CN110402096B
Continuum manipulator
US20140350462A1
Optical driving device
WO2016135775A1