Soft robots, soft actuators, and methods for making the same

US10760597B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Regents of the University of Minnesota · US

Inventors

• Timothy M. Kowalewski · Saint Paul, US
• James D. Van de Ven · Orr, US
• Mark Gilbertson · Deephaven, US
• Gabriel Ray Crooks Korinek · Minneapolis, US
• Gillian Jo McDonald · New Brighton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 27, 2016
• Grant date: Sep 1, 2020
• Expiry date: Nov 10, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F15B2215/30
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A material-mapped actuator useful as, or as part of, a soft robot along with automated methods of design and manufacture. The actuator exhibits mechanical properties that spatially vary along a coordinate system of the actuator. The actuator body has an initial shape with a corresponding initial map of mechanical attributes consisting of locally-varying stiffness at each point in a volume of the actuator body. The actuator is configured to change to a different shape or distribution of mechanical properties upon being activated by an actuation medium. The map of mechanical attributes influences and determines the new shape or distribution. The material-mapped actuator can incorporate a spatially-varying distribution of mechanical properties that dictates multiple desired shapes as the actuation medium is applied, including an actuation sequence in which the actuator transitions from a first shape to a desired intermediate shape(s), and from the intermediate shape to a desired final shape.