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Biomimetics
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Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators
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Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Locomotion and Bioinspired Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 9218

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Benliang Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Precision Equipment and Manufacturing Technology, School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: compliant mechanisms; precision engineering; soft robotics; machine version
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hai Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Equipment and Manufacture Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: vision-based precision measurement & servo control; micro-/nano positioning and manipulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomimetics have been extensively studied as one of the principal ways of designing soft actuators. Recently, great efforts have been pursued in mimicking living creatures to design the structures of soft robots, such as jellyfish-like swimmers, snake- and worm-inspired robots, octopuses’ grippers, and millipede-inspired soft robots. These bionic design structures can achieve specific functionalities. However, many challenges still exist when devising bioinspired actuators, including more compact yet more powerful actuators with simple structures yet multi-modal movements.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators”, is to collect outstanding contributions from different laboratories working on biomimetic soft actuators.

Taking advantage of the journal’s open access format, this collection of papers aims to exemplify the effectiveness of biomimetic approaches in uncovering novel research pathways and pioneering solutions within the realm of structural design methods.

Submissions are welcomed on topics for this Special Issue, including (but not limited to) bioinspired structure designs, biomimicry design methods, and biomimetic robotics in industry and medical technology. We are confident that this undertaking will address a crucial void in the field of biomimetic structural mechanics and engineering applications.

Prof. Dr. Benliang Zhu
Dr. Hai Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soft robotics
  • compliant structure
  • mechanical design
  • bioinspired structure
  • simulation and experimentation
  • bio-inspired robots
  • the application of soft actuators

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 3252 KiB  
Article
Comparisons of Inverse Dynamics Formulations in a Spatial Redundantly Actuated Parallel Mechanism Constrained by Two Point Contact Higher Kinematic Pairs
by Chen Cheng, Xiaojing Yuan, Yenan Li and Jian Liu
Biomimetics 2024, 9(9), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9090564 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 582
Abstract
A spatial redundantly actuated parallel mechanism (RAPM) constrained by two point contact higher kinematic pairs (HKPs) has been designed, arising from the inspiration of mastication in human beings: the end effector is the lower jaw, the six kinematic chains are the primary chewing [...] Read more.
A spatial redundantly actuated parallel mechanism (RAPM) constrained by two point contact higher kinematic pairs (HKPs) has been designed, arising from the inspiration of mastication in human beings: the end effector is the lower jaw, the six kinematic chains are the primary chewing muscles, and the constraints at HKPs are the temporomandibular joints. In this paper, firstly, the constrained motions of the mechanism are described in detail; thereafter, five models are formulated by the well-known Newton–Euler’s law, the Lagrangian equations, and the principle of virtual work, to explore its rigid-body inverse dynamics. The symbolic results show that the model structures based on these approaches are quite different: the model via the Newton–Euler law well reflects the nature of the mechanism in terms of the constraint forces from HKPs with six equations and eight unknowns, and the existence of reaction forces at the spherical joints is tightly dependent on the number of kinematic chains. In comparison, from the latter two methods, the constraint forces and the reaction forces at spherical joints do not appear in the four models in which there are only four equations and six unknowns. Further, by using the dynamics model of the non-redundantly actuated counterpart as the core in both the second models from the energy and virtual work-related methods, their computational cost is only about 16.7% and 36.63% of the two first models, respectively. Finally, the comparisons between the dynamics models of the RAPM and its counterpart clarify that the HKP constraints greatly alter the model structures and raise the technical difficulties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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16 pages, 4889 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Graphene–Mesoporous Carbon–Nickel–Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Coated Mandrel-Coiled TCPFLNR Artificial Muscle
by Pawandeep Singh Matharu, Yuyang Song, Umesh Gandhi and Yonas Tadesse
Biomimetics 2024, 9(8), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9080458 - 26 Jul 2024
Viewed by 782
Abstract
This study investigates the performance enhancement of mandrel-coiled twisted and coiled polymer fibers with a nichrome heater (TCPFLNR) by coating with a solution of graphene–mesoporous carbon–nickel–polyvinyl alcohol. The coating process involved a one-pot synthesis utilizing graphene powder, Ni nanoparticles, mesoporous [...] Read more.
This study investigates the performance enhancement of mandrel-coiled twisted and coiled polymer fibers with a nichrome heater (TCPFLNR) by coating with a solution of graphene–mesoporous carbon–nickel–polyvinyl alcohol. The coating process involved a one-pot synthesis utilizing graphene powder, Ni nanoparticles, mesoporous carbon, and PVA as a binding agent. The coating was performed by manually shaking the TCPFLNR and the subsequent annealing process, which results in improved thermal conductivity and actuation behavior of the TCPFLNR. Experimental results on a 60 mm long actuator demonstrated significant enhancements in actuation displacement and actuation strain (20% to 42%) under various loads with an input current of 0.27 A/power 2.16 W. The blocked stress is ~10 MPa under this 2.16 W power input and the maximum strain is 48% at optimum load of 1.4 MPa. The observed actuation strain correlated directly with the input power. The coated TCPFLNR exhibited better thermal contacts, facilitating enhanced heat transfer, and reducing power consumption by 6% to 9% compared to non-coated actuators. It was found that the nanomaterial coating helps the TCP actuator to be reliable for more than 75,000 actuation cycles at 0.1 Hz in air due to improved thermal conductivity. These findings highlight the potential for further research to optimize electrothermally operated TCP actuators and unlock advancements in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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18 pages, 3606 KiB  
Article
Design of an SMA-Based Actuator for Replicating Normal Gait Patterns in Pediatric Patients with Cerebral Palsy
by Paloma Mansilla Navarro, Dorin Copaci, Janeth Arias and Dolores Blanco Rojas
Biomimetics 2024, 9(7), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9070376 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 799
Abstract
Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of incurable motor disorders affecting 0.22% of the global population. Symptoms are managed by physiotherapists, often using rehabilitation robotics. Exoskeletons, offering advantages over conventional therapies, are evolving to be more wearable and biomimetic, requiring new flexible actuators [...] Read more.
Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of incurable motor disorders affecting 0.22% of the global population. Symptoms are managed by physiotherapists, often using rehabilitation robotics. Exoskeletons, offering advantages over conventional therapies, are evolving to be more wearable and biomimetic, requiring new flexible actuators that mimic human tissue. The main objective behind this article is the design of a flexible exosuit based on shape-memory-alloy-based artificial muscles for pediatric patients that replicate the walking cycle pattern in the ankle joint. Thus, four shape-memory-alloy-based actuators were sewn to an exosuit at the desired actuation points and controlled by a two-level controller. The loop is closed through six inertial sensors that estimate the real angular position of both ankles. Different frequencies of actuation have been tested, along with the response of the actuators to different walking cycle patterns. These tests have been performed over long periods of time, comparing the reference created by a reference generator based on pediatric walking patterns and the response measured by the inertial sensors. The results provide important measurements concerning errors, working frequencies and cooling times, proving that this technology could be used in this and similar applications and highlighting its limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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16 pages, 15586 KiB  
Article
Design and Analysis of a Polymeric Left Ventricular Simulator via Computational Modelling
by Turgut Batuhan Baturalp and Selim Bozkurt
Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050269 - 28 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1228
Abstract
Preclinical testing of medical devices is an essential step in the product life cycle, whereas testing of cardiovascular implants requires specialised testbeds or numerical simulations using computer software Ansys 2016. Existing test setups used to evaluate physiological scenarios and test cardiac implants such [...] Read more.
Preclinical testing of medical devices is an essential step in the product life cycle, whereas testing of cardiovascular implants requires specialised testbeds or numerical simulations using computer software Ansys 2016. Existing test setups used to evaluate physiological scenarios and test cardiac implants such as mock circulatory systems or isolated beating heart platforms are driven by sophisticated hardware which comes at a high cost or raises ethical concerns. On the other hand, computational methods used to simulate blood flow in the cardiovascular system may be simplified or computationally expensive. Therefore, there is a need for low-cost, relatively simple and efficient test beds that can provide realistic conditions to simulate physiological scenarios and evaluate cardiovascular devices. In this study, the concept design of a novel left ventricular simulator made of latex rubber and actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles is presented. The designed left ventricular simulator is geometrically similar to a native left ventricle, whereas the basal diameter and long axis length are within an anatomical range. Finite element simulations evaluating left ventricular twisting and shortening predicted that the designed left ventricular simulator rotates approximately 17 degrees at the apex and the long axis shortens around 11 mm. Experimental results showed that the twist angle is 18 degrees and the left ventricular simulator shortens 5 mm. Twist angles and long axis shortening as in a native left ventricle show it is capable of functioning like a native left ventricle and simulating a variety of scenarios, and therefore has the potential to be used as a test platform. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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16 pages, 8677 KiB  
Article
Seahorse-Tail-Inspired Soft Pneumatic Actuator: Development and Experimental Characterization
by Michele Gabrio Antonelli, Pierluigi Beomonte Zobel, Muhammad Aziz Sarwar and Nicola Stampone
Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050264 - 27 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1734
Abstract
The study of bio-inspired structures and their reproduction has always fascinated humans. The advent of soft robotics, thanks to soft materials, has enabled considerable progress in this field. Over the years, polyps, worms, cockroaches, jellyfish, and multiple anthropomorphic structures such as hands or [...] Read more.
The study of bio-inspired structures and their reproduction has always fascinated humans. The advent of soft robotics, thanks to soft materials, has enabled considerable progress in this field. Over the years, polyps, worms, cockroaches, jellyfish, and multiple anthropomorphic structures such as hands or limbs have been reproduced. These structures have often been used for gripping and handling delicate objects or those with complex unknown a priori shapes. Several studies have also been conducted on grippers inspired by the seahorse tail. In this paper, a novel biomimetic soft pneumatic actuator inspired by the tail of the seahorse Hippocampus reidi is presented. The actuator has been developed to make a leg to sustain a multi-legged robot. The prototyping of the actuator was possible by combining a 3D-printed reinforcement in thermoplastic polyurethane, mimicking the skeletal apparatus, within a silicone rubber structure, replicating the functions of the external epithelial tissue. The latter has an internal channel for pneumatic actuation that acts as the inner muscle. The study on the anatomy and kinematic behaviour of the seahorse tail suggested the mechanical design of the actuator. Through a test campaign, the actuator prototype was characterized by isotonic tests with an external null load, isometric tests, and activation/deactivation times. Specifically, the full actuator distension of 154.5 mm occurs at 1.8 bar, exerting a maximum force of 11.9 N, with an activation and deactivation time of 74.9 and 94.5 ms, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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22 pages, 11578 KiB  
Article
Shape Memory Alloys Patches to Mimic Rolling, Sliding, and Spinning Movements of the Knee
by Suyeon Seo, Minchae Kang and Min-Woo Han
Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050255 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1719
Abstract
Every year, almost 4 million patients received medical care for knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis involves progressive deterioration or degenerative changes in the cartilage, leading to inflammation and pain as the bones and ligaments are affected. To enhance treatment and surgical outcomes, various studies analyzing [...] Read more.
Every year, almost 4 million patients received medical care for knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis involves progressive deterioration or degenerative changes in the cartilage, leading to inflammation and pain as the bones and ligaments are affected. To enhance treatment and surgical outcomes, various studies analyzing the biomechanics of the human skeletal system by fabricating simulated bones, particularly those reflecting the characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis, are underway. In this study, we fabricated replicated bones that mirror the bone characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis and developed a skeletal model that mimics the actual movement of the knee. To create patient-specific replicated bones, models were extracted from computerized tomography (CT) scans of knee osteoarthritis patients. Utilizing 3D printing technology, we replicated the femur and tibia, which bear the weight of the body and support movement, and manufactured cartilage capable of absorbing and dispersing the impact of knee joint loads using flexible polymers. Furthermore, to implement knee movement in the skeletal model, we developed artificial muscles based on shape memory alloys (SMAs) and used them to mimic the rolling, sliding, and spinning motions of knee flexion. The knee movement was investigated by changing the SMA spring’s position, the number of coils, and the applied voltage. Additionally, we developed a knee-joint-mimicking system to analyze the movement of the femur. The proposed artificial-skeletal-model-based knee-joint-mimicking system appears to be applicable for analyzing skeletal models of knee patients and developing surgical simulation equipment for artificial joint replacement surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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14 pages, 4933 KiB  
Article
Quasi-Static Modeling Framework for Soft Bellow-Based Biomimetic Actuators
by Kelvin HoLam Heung, Ting Lei, Kaixin Liang, Jiye Xu, Joonoh Seo and Heng Li
Biomimetics 2024, 9(3), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9030160 - 4 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1704
Abstract
Soft robots that incorporate elastomeric matrices and flexible materials have gained attention for their unique capabilities, surpassing those of rigid robots, with increased degrees of freedom and movement. Research has highlighted the adaptability, agility, and sensitivity of soft robotic actuators in various applications, [...] Read more.
Soft robots that incorporate elastomeric matrices and flexible materials have gained attention for their unique capabilities, surpassing those of rigid robots, with increased degrees of freedom and movement. Research has highlighted the adaptability, agility, and sensitivity of soft robotic actuators in various applications, including industrial grippers, locomotive robots, wearable assistive devices, and more. It has been demonstrated that bellow-shaped actuators exhibit greater efficiency compared to uniformly shaped fiber-reinforced actuators as they require less input pressure to achieve a comparable range of motion (ROM). Nevertheless, the mathematical quantification of the performance of bellow-based soft fluidic actuators is not well established due to their inherent non-uniform and complex structure, particularly when compared to fiber-reinforced actuators. Furthermore, the design of bellow dimensions is mostly based on intuition without standardized guidance and criteria. This article presents a comprehensive description of the quasi-static analytical modeling process used to analyze bellow-based soft actuators with linear extension. The results of the models are validated through finite element method (FEM) simulations and experimental testing, considering elongation in free space under fluidic pressurization. This study facilitates the determination of optimal geometrical parameters for bellow-based actuators, allowing for effective biomimetic robot design optimization and performance prediction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Structures for Soft Actuators)
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