Revealing bending and force in a soft body through a plant root inspired approach

Scientific Reports
Chiara LucarottiLucia Beccai

Abstract

An emerging challenge in soft robotics research is to reveal mechanical solicitations in a soft body. Nature provides amazing clues to develop unconventional components that are capable of compliant interactions with the environment and living beings, avoiding mechanical and algorithmic complexity of robotic design. We inspire from plant-root mechanoperception and develop a strategy able to reveal bending and applied force in a soft body with only two sensing elements of the same kind, and a null computational effort. The stretching processes that lead to opposite tissue deformations on the two sides of the root wall are emulated with two tactile sensing elements, made of soft and stretchable materials, which conform to reversible changes in the shape of the body they are built in and follow its deformations. Comparing the two sensory responses, we can discriminate the concave and the convex side of the bent body. Hence, we propose a new strategy to reveal in a soft body the maximum bending angle (or the maximum deflection) and the externally applied force according to the body's mechanical configuration.

References

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Citations

Jan 23, 2016·Journal of Experimental Botany·A Glyn BengoughBlair M McKenzie
Apr 22, 2017·Bio Systems·Andrew AdamatzkyStefano Mancuso
Oct 13, 2017·Sensors·Massimo TotaroLucia Beccai
Oct 25, 2016·IEEE Transactions on Haptics·Nantachai Sornkarn, Thrishantha Nanayakkara
Dec 21, 2016·Bioinspiration & Biomimetics·A SadeghiB Mazzolai
Sep 27, 2018·Advanced Science·Hongbo WangLucia Beccai
Dec 19, 2017·Soft Robotics·Massimo TotaroLucia Beccai
Dec 18, 2020·Science Robotics·Taekyoung KimYong-Lae Park
Mar 14, 2018·Frontiers in Robotics and AI·Emanuela Del DottoreBarbara Mazzolai
Jan 28, 2021·Frontiers in Robotics and AI·Barbara MazzolaiLaura Margheri
Jan 28, 2021·Frontiers in Robotics and AI·P Adrian FrazierPaco Calvo
Apr 18, 2017··Barbara MazzolaiGabriella Meloni

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