An Analysis of Peristaltic Locomotion for Maximizing Velocity or Minimizing Cost of Transport of Earthworm-Like Robots
| Autor: | Roger D. Quinn, Yifan Wang, Kathryn A. Daltorio, Hillel J. Chiel, Akhil Kandhari |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0209 industrial biotechnology
Cost of transport Biological organism Biophysics Terrain Robotics 02 engineering and technology 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Power (physics) 020901 industrial engineering & automation Artificial Intelligence Control and Systems Engineering Control theory Animals Waveform Robot Peristalsis Oligochaeta 0210 nano-technology Actuator Gait Locomotion |
| Zdroj: | Soft Robotics. 8:485-505 |
| ISSN: | 2169-5180 2169-5172 |
| DOI: | 10.1089/soro.2020.0021 |
| Popis: | Earthworm-like peristaltic locomotion has been implemented in >50 robots, with many potential applications in otherwise inaccessible terrain. Design guidelines for peristaltic locomotion have come from observations of biology, but robots have empirically explored different structures, actuators, and control waveform shapes than those observed in biological organisms. In this study, we suggest a template analysis based on simplified segments undergoing beam deformations. This analysis enables calculation of the minimum power required by the structure for locomotion and maximum speed of locomotion. Thus, design relationships are shown that apply to peristaltic robots and potentially to earthworms. Specifically, although speed is maximized by moving as many segments as possible, cost of transport (COT) is optimized by moving fewer segments. Furthermore, either soft or relatively stiff segments are possible, but the anisotropy of the stiffnesses is important. Experimentally, we show on our earthworm robot that this method predicts which control waveforms (equivalent to different gaits) correspond to least input power or to maximum velocity. We extend our analysis to 150 segments (similar to that of earthworms) to show that reducing COT is an alternate explanation for why earthworms have so few moving segments. The mathematical relationships developed here between structural properties, actuation power, and waveform shape will enable the design of future robots with more segments and limited onboard power. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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