Soft Pneumatic Arm
The inhouse developed soft, inflatable robotic arm with two degrees of freedom. The links and actuators are all made from fabric and a suction gripper is used as end effector.
Background
The goal of this project is to develop a soft inflatable robotic arm and to investigate suited control algorithms for this novel type of manipulator. Inflatable robotic arms made from fabric have a considerably lower inertia and higher compliance compared to classic industrial robots. Therefore, the potential harm such a manipulator can cause to its environment is much smaller and allows for a safe interaction with humans.
Research on Learning Control Algorithms
The viscoelastic behavior of the soft materials employed makes accurate control with this type of system challenging. Model-based learning control approaches are investigated to improve control performance and realize fast applications.
- M. Hofer, J. Zughaibi and R. D’Andrea, Design and control of an inflatable spherical robotic arm for pick and place applications, Actuators, 2021, external pagelink
- Y. Huang, M. Hofer and R. D'Andrea, Offset-free Model Predictive Control: A Ball Catching Application with a Spherical Soft Robotic Arm, Proceedings of the Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2021, external pagelink
- M. Hofer, C. Sferrazza, R. D'Andrea, A Vision-based Sensing Approach for a Spherical Soft Robotic Arm, Frontiers, 2021, external pagelink
- J. Zughaibi, M. Hofer and R. D'Andrea, A Fast and Reliable Pick-and-Place Application with a Spherical Soft Robotic Arm, Proceedings of the Conference on Soft Robotics, 2021, external pagelink
- P. Werner, M. Hofer, C. Sferrazza and R. D'Andrea, Vision-Based Proprioceptive Sensing: Tip Position Estimation for a Soft Inflatable Bellow Actuator, Proceedings of the Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2020, Downloadlink (PDF, 5.2 MB)
- M. Hofer, R. D'Andrea, Design, fabrication, modeling and control of a fabric-based spherical robotic arm, Mechatronics, 2020, external pagelink
- M. Hofer, L. Spannagl, and R. D'Andrea, Iterative Learning Control for Fast and Accurate Position Tracking with a Soft Robotic Arm, Proceedings of the Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2019, Downloadlink (PDF, 5 MB)
- M. Hofer, and R. D'Andrea, Design, Modeling and Control of a Soft Robotic Arm, Proceedings of the Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2018, Downloadlink (PDF, 3.2 MB)