Abstract
WormTIP is a novel lightweight self-actuating exploratory sensor, using a pneumostatic vessel and a dielectric elastomeric actuator (DEA) to create an active sensory tip capable of object shape determination as part of a flexible soft robot. Utilising the coupling of a static fluid vessel, the DEA is paired with a sensory membrane with internal papillae mimicking the internal morphology found in the fingertip. The sensory membrane is extended onto an object, conforming to its surface. Experimental results are presented which show the detection of shapes using particle velocimetry and papillae density analysis. These are preliminary results which show the potential of the WormTIP, which is the focus of ongoing work. The device is aimed for use as a self-contained palpating sensor, or as an attachment to a bio-inspired robotic worm forming a self-contained exploratory vehicle with the device acting as the sensory appendage or proboscis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Finn, J.K., Tregenza, T., Norman, M.D.: Defensive tool use in a coconut-carrying octopus. Current Biology 19(23), R1069–R1070 (2009)
Kier, W.M., Smith, K.K.: The biomechanics of movement in tongues and tentacles. Journal of Biomechanics 16(4), 292–293 (1983)
Chorley, C., Melhuish, C., Pipe, T., Rossiter, J.: Development of a tactile sensor based on biologically inspired edge encoding. In: 2009 International Conference on Advanced Robotics (2009)
Winstone, B., Griffiths, G., Pipe, T., Melhuish, C., Rossiter, J.: TACTIP - tactile fingertip device, texture analysis through optical tracking of skin features. In: Lepora, N.F., Mura, A., Krapp, H.G., Verschure, P.F.M.J., Prescott, T.J. (eds.) Living Machines 2013. LNCS, vol. 8064, pp. 323–334. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)
Conn, A.T., Hinitt, A.D., Wang, P.: Soft segmented inchworm robot with dielectric elastomer muscles. Proc. SPIE 9056, 90562L (2014)
Stoll, W.: FlexShapeGripper Gripping modelled on a chameleon’s tongue
Brown, E., Rodenberg, N., Amend, J., Mozeika, A., Steltz, E., Zakin, M.R., Lipson, H., Jaeger, H.M.: From the Cover: Universal robotic gripper based on the jamming of granular material (2010)
Ascia, A., Biso, M., Natale, L., Ricci, D., Metta, G., Sandini, G.: Comparison between two implementations of icub’s fingertip. Procedia Engineering 47, 1231–1234 (2012)
Iddan, G., Meron, G., Glukhovsky, A., Swain, P.: Wireless capsule endoscopy. Nature 405, 417 (2000)
Gilroy, S., Masson, P.H.: Plant Tropisms. Blackwell Publishing Ltd (2008)
Giannaccini, M.E., Georgilas, I., Horsfield, I., Peiris, B.H.P.M., Lenz, A., Pipe, A.G., Dogramadzi, S.: A variable compliance, soft gripper. Autonomous Robots 36(1–2), 93–107 (2014)
Burton, A.R., Minegishi, K., Kurata, M., Lynch, J.P.: Free-standing carbon nanotube composite sensing skin for distributed strain sensing in structures. SPIE 9061, 906123 (2014)
Hands, P.J.W., Laughlin, P.J., Bloor, D.: Metal-polymer composite sensors for volatile organic compounds: Part 1. Flow-through chemi-resistors. Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical 162(1), 400–408 (2012)
Vuong, N.H.L., Kwon, H.Y., Chuc, N.H., Kim, D., An, K., Phuc, V.H., Moon, H., Koo, J., Lee, Y., Nam, J.-D., Choi, H.R.: Active skin as new haptic interface. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering 7642, 1–9 (2010)
Carpi, F., Frediani, G., De Rossi, D.: Hydrostatically coupled dielectric elastomer actuators. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 15(2), 308–315 (2010)
Winstone, B., Melhuish, C., Dogramadzi, S., Pipe, T., Callaway, M.: A novel bio-inspired tactile tumour detection concept for capsule endoscopy. In: Duff, A., Lepora, N.F., Mura, A., Prescott, T.J., Verschure, P.F.M.J. (eds.) Living Machines 2014. LNCS, vol. 8608, pp. 442–445. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)
Carpi, F., De Rossi, D., Kornbluh, R., Pelrine, R., Sommer-Larsen, P. (eds.) Dielectric Elastomers as Electromechanical Transducers. Elsevier Ltd (2007)
Bowers, A., Walters, P., Rossiter, J., Ieropoulos, I.: Dielectric elastomer pump for artificial organisms. SPIE 7976, 1–7 (2011)
Carpi, F., Frediani, G., De Rossi, D.: Opportunities of hydrostatically coupled dielectric elastomer actuators for haptic interfaces. Spie 7976, 797618 (2011)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Hinitt, A.D., Rossiter, J., Conn, A.T. (2015). WormTIP: An Invertebrate Inspired Active Tactile Imaging Pneumostat. In: Wilson, S., Verschure, P., Mura, A., Prescott, T. (eds) Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9222. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22979-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22979-9_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22978-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22979-9
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)