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Micromachines
Special Issues
Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics
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Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 20888

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tommaso Santaniello

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Centre for Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces (CIMAINA), Physics Department, University of Milan, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: polymers and polymeric nanocomposites; smart polymeric materials; sensors, actuators and functional devices; micro and nano-fabrication technologies; additive manufacturing processes; soft robotics and electronics; medical technology and biotechnology
Prof. Dr. Paolo Milani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Physics Department, University of Milan, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: nanostructured materials; neuromorphic systems; biomaterials; additive fabrication technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Soft robotics is considered the new frontier of Robotics; the substantiation of this expectation requires the convergence of different scientific and technological approaches including additive fabrication, polymer actuation, soft electronics, energy storage and harvesting, neuromorphic stimuli and data handling, and edge computing. This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research contributions dealing with the integration of different technologies to obtain disruptive structural and functional solutions for soft robotics systems.

Dr. Tommaso Santaniello
Prof. Dr. Paolo Milani
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. Micromachines 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 2600 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
  • functional devices
  • advanced materials
  • integrated fabrication approaches

Published Papers (7 papers)

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16 pages, 9357 KiB  
Article
3D Printable Soft Sensory Fiber Networks for Robust and Complex Tactile Sensing
by David Hardman, Thomas George Thuruthel, Antonia Georgopoulou, Frank Clemens and Fumiya Iida
Micromachines 2022, 13(9), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13091540 - 17 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1532
Abstract
The human tactile system is composed of multi-functional mechanoreceptors distributed in an optimized manner. Having the ability to design and optimize multi-modal soft sensory systems can further enhance the capabilities of current soft robotic systems. This work presents a complete framework for the [...] Read more.
The human tactile system is composed of multi-functional mechanoreceptors distributed in an optimized manner. Having the ability to design and optimize multi-modal soft sensory systems can further enhance the capabilities of current soft robotic systems. This work presents a complete framework for the fabrication of soft sensory fiber networks for contact localization, using pellet-based 3D printing of piezoresistive elastomers to manufacture flexible sensory networks with precise and repeatable performances. Given a desirable soft sensor property, our methodology can design and fabricate optimized sensor morphologies without human intervention. Extensive simulation and experimental studies are performed on two printed networks, comparing a baseline network to one optimized via an existing information theory based approach. Machine learning is used for contact localization based on the sensor responses. The sensor responses match simulations with tunable performances and good localization accuracy, even in the presence of damage and nonlinear material properties. The potential of the networks to function as capacitive sensors is also demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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12 pages, 2926 KiB  
Article
Wireless Micro Soft Actuator without Payloads Using 3D Helical Coils
by Seonghyeon Lee, Woojun Jung, Kyungho Ko and Yongha Hwang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050799 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2615
Abstract
To receive a greater power and to demonstrate the soft bellows-shaped actuator’s wireless actuation, micro inductors were built for wireless power transfer and realized in a three-dimensional helical structure, which have previously been built in two-dimensional spiral structures. Although the three-dimensional helical inductor [...] Read more.
To receive a greater power and to demonstrate the soft bellows-shaped actuator’s wireless actuation, micro inductors were built for wireless power transfer and realized in a three-dimensional helical structure, which have previously been built in two-dimensional spiral structures. Although the three-dimensional helical inductor has the advantage of acquiring more magnetic flux linkage than the two-dimensional spiral inductor, the existing microfabrication technique produces a device on a two-dimensional plane, as it has a limit to building a complete three-dimensional structure. In this study, by using a three-dimensional printed soluble mold technique, a three-dimensional heater with helical coils, which have a larger heating area than a two-dimensional heater, was fabricated with three-dimensional receiving inductors for enhanced wireless power transfer. The three-dimensional heater connected to the three-dimensional helical inductor increased the temperature of the liquid and gas inside the bellows-shaped actuator while reaching 176.1% higher temperature than the heater connected to the two-dimensional spiral inductor. Thereby it enables a stroke of the actuator up to 522% longer than when it is connected to the spiral inductor. Therefore, three-dimensional micro coils can offer a significant approach to the development of wireless micro soft robots without incurring heavy and bulky parts such as batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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11 pages, 3748 KiB  
Article
Microgripper Using Soft Microactuators for Manipulation of Living Cells
by Shunnosuke Kodera, Tomoki Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Yokoyama and Takeshi Hayakawa
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050794 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2070
Abstract
We present a microgripper actuated by a soft microactuator for manipulating a single living cell. Soft actuators have attracted attention in recent years because their compliance which can adapt to soft targets. In this study, we propose a microgripper actuated by soft thermoresponsive [...] Read more.
We present a microgripper actuated by a soft microactuator for manipulating a single living cell. Soft actuators have attracted attention in recent years because their compliance which can adapt to soft targets. In this study, we propose a microgripper actuated by soft thermoresponsive hydrogels. The thermoresponsive gel swells in water when the temperature is low and shrinks when the temperature is high. Therefore, the microgripper can be driven by controlling the temperature of the thermoresponsive gel. The gels are actuated by irradiating with infrared (IR) laser to localize heating. The actuation characteristics of the gripper were theoretically analyzed and we designed a gripper that gripped a ≈10 µm size cell. Additionally, we succeeded in actuating the fabricated microgripper with laser irradiation and gripping a single living cell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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13 pages, 8719 KiB  
Article
Design Consideration Investigation of Soft-Valve Pipe
by Xu Yang, Yiniu Luo, Chen Ji, Yugang Ren and Shizhen Li
Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13040568 - 01 Apr 2022
Viewed by 1914
Abstract
This paper focuses on investigating the configuration and parameter selection of the silicone pipe in soft valve. According to the working principles of soft valve, five configurations and four structural parameters of silicone pipes are proposed and analyzed. The relationship between the pipe [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on investigating the configuration and parameter selection of the silicone pipe in soft valve. According to the working principles of soft valve, five configurations and four structural parameters of silicone pipes are proposed and analyzed. The relationship between the pipe configuration and breakthrough pressure is investigated through experimental tests. The influence of the structural parameters on the breakthrough pressure is revealed by experiments as well. Based on the revealed design considerations, a three-way soft valve is designed, fabricated and tested. The experimental results show that the designed pipes have great stability and good sealability, which ensures the three-way soft valve possesses high breakthrough pressure. Finally, two application tests of the three-way soft valve are carried out, which further confirm the effectiveness of designed pipe and designed soft valve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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14 pages, 5802 KiB  
Article
Development of a Soft Robotics Module for Active Control of Sitting Comfort
by Tjark Roozendaal, Martin Verwaal, Alice Buso, Rob B. N. Scharff, Yu Song and Peter Vink
Micromachines 2022, 13(3), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13030477 - 20 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
Sitting comfort is an important factor for passengers in selecting cars, airlines, etc. This paper proposes a soft robotic module that can be integrated into the seat cushion to provide better comfort experiences to passengers. Building on rapid manufacturing technologies and a data-driven [...] Read more.
Sitting comfort is an important factor for passengers in selecting cars, airlines, etc. This paper proposes a soft robotic module that can be integrated into the seat cushion to provide better comfort experiences to passengers. Building on rapid manufacturing technologies and a data-driven approach, the module can be controlled to sense the applied force and the displacement of the top surface and actuate according to four designed modes. A total of 2 modules were prototyped and integrated into a seat cushion, and 16 subjects were invited to test the module’s effectiveness. Experiments proved the principle by showing significant differences regarding (dis)comfort. It was concluded that the proposed soft robotics module could provide passengers with better comfort experiences by adjusting the pressure distribution of the seat as well as introducing a variation of postures relevant for prolonged sitting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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16 pages, 4068 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Position Control Simulation Research on Shape Memory Alloy Spring Actuator
by Bingshan Hu, Fengchen Liu, Binghao Mao, Zhiwei Chen and Hongliu Yu
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020178 - 25 Jan 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3008
Abstract
The shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator is widely used in aerospace, medical and robot fields because of its advantages of low driving voltage, large driving force, no noise and high-power–weight ratio. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish the theoretical model of [...] Read more.
The shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator is widely used in aerospace, medical and robot fields because of its advantages of low driving voltage, large driving force, no noise and high-power–weight ratio. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish the theoretical model of the SMA actuator and analyze the driving characteristics of the SMA actuator. On the basis of summarizing the constitutive model of the shape memory alloy spring, the phase transformation dynamics model of SMA including the minor hysteresis loop is established using the Duhem model in this paper, and the theoretical models of the bias and differential SMA spring actuator are established. At the same time, a PID position controller including anti-saturation and anti-overheating functions is proposed to control the position of the SMA actuator. Finally, the position control simulation model of the SMA spring actuator is established and simulated. Simulation results show that the position of the SMA actuator can be well controlled by using the model and control method established in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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47 pages, 3252 KiB  
Systematic Review
Soft Robotics: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Dan-Mihai Rusu, Silviu-Dan Mândru, Cristina-Maria Biriș, Olivia-Laura Petrașcu, Fineas Morariu and Alexandru Ianosi-Andreeva-Dimitrova
Micromachines 2023, 14(2), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14020359 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5750
Abstract
In recent years, soft robotics has developed considerably, especially since the year 2018 when it became a hot field among current research topics. The attention that this field receives from researchers and the public is marked by the substantial increase in both the [...] Read more.
In recent years, soft robotics has developed considerably, especially since the year 2018 when it became a hot field among current research topics. The attention that this field receives from researchers and the public is marked by the substantial increase in both the quantity and the quality of scientific publications. In this review, in order to create a relevant and comprehensive picture of this field both quantitatively and qualitatively, the paper approaches two directions. The first direction is centered on a bibliometric analysis focused on the period 2008–2022 with the exact expression that best characterizes this field, which is “Soft Robotics”, and the data were taken from a series of multidisciplinary databases and a specialized journal. The second direction focuses on the analysis of bibliographic references that were rigorously selected following a clear methodology based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the selection of bibliographic sources, 111 papers were part of the final analysis, which have been analyzed in detail considering three different perspectives: one related to the design principle (biologically inspired soft robotics), one related to functionality (closed/open-loop control), and one from a biomedical applications perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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