Key Words: Flexible, Expandable, Retractable, Curl, Wrap, Helical, Appendage, Lightweight, Soft Robotics, Robotic Arm, Gripper, Bellow.
The Purpose:
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf, or petiole with a threadlike shape. It can curl and wrap around an object securely. Plants use it for support and attachment. Shown in Figure 1 is a tendril in nature.
This disclosed invention is a novel soft robotic design that mimics this living organism in nature. It will be referred to as the TendrilArm thereafter. TendrilArm can be pneumatically controlled to manipulate the geometry to achieve desired motions and functionalities. The invention can extend/retract linearly, curl along an axis, and twist/wrap in a 3D space in a helical fashion.
The Utility:
A pneumatically controlled soft robotic arm is known to be a better solution to grab irregularly shaped or delicate objects compared to their counterparts with rigid phalanges. However, current soft robotic arms have limitations in their abilities in extension to reach distant objects, and curl and wrap helically around an object with a more secure and versatile grip. The disclosed invention will have improved capabilities in these features. This invention can be an integral part of a robotic system in the assembly line in a manufacturing environment, especially for delicate or odd-shaped products. Or it can be the grabbing arm for a larger robotic platform to perform challenging tasks such as rock-climbing or picking up objects along the roadside as part of a highway maintenance apparatus, etc.
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