# Presentation: 206663

## Biologically-Inspired Intelligent Robots using EAP as Biomimetic Actuation Materials

**Biologically-Inspired Intelligent Robots ****using EAP as Biomimetic Actuation Materials**

- Yoseph Bar-Cohen,
- JPL/Caltech, Pasadena, CA
- 818-354-2610, yosi@jpl.nasa.gov

- http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/

## Wishful thinking

## Presentation content

- Biomimetics and robotics
- The infrastructure
- EAP materials – review
- Computational chemistry
- Characterization techniques
- Applications
- Haptic interfacing
- Information resources
- The challenges and outlook

## Nature as a model for robotics engineering

**Glider**
**(Alsomitra macrocarpa**)

- Aerodynamic dispersion of seeds
- (Courtesy of Wayne's Word)
- Ref: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plfeb99.htm#helicopters

- Octopus adaptive shape, texture and camouflage
- Ref: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/octopus/

**Courtesy of Roger T. Hanlon, Director, Marine Resources Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA**

- Tumbleweed

**Helicopter**
**(Tipuana tipu)**

**Courtesy of William M. Kier, of North Carolina**

## BIOLOGICALLY INSPIRED ROBOTICSIN-SITU MULTI-TASKING MISSIONS USING SCALABLE AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS FOR COLONIZED EXPLORATION

## Biomimetic Robots

- Human and animals are the baseline
- Animated creatures can defy nature rules with no restrictions
- Making haptic interfaces to perform telepresence allows control of remote biomimetic robots providing the needed intelligence
- Cyborg technology currently involve static prosthetics
- Making a biomimetic intelligent robots involve:
- Creating a character using structural elements
- Support elements - sensors, actuators and power supplies
- Control of biomimetic robots
- Incorporating behavior using cognitive models for biomimetics

## http://mozu.mes.titech.ac.jp/research/walk/TITAN7/t730.GIF

- Quadruped Walking Machine to Climb Slopes at the Univ. of Nagoya, Japan

**http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/RHex/**

- Six legged robot at the AI Lab, Univ. of Michigan

- http://www.beam-online.com/Robots/Galleria_other/tilden.html

- Snake-like – by Mark Tilden

**http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/leglab/home.html**

**Fully Contained 3D Bipedal Walking Dinosaur Robot at MIT**

- Biologically inspired robots

## Smart Toys

**AIBO - Sony 2nd Generation ERS-210**
**Ref.: http://www.us.aibo.com/ers_210/product.php?cat=aibo**

**I-Cybie **
**Ref.: http://www.i-cybie.com**

- Sony’s SDR3

- Honda’s Asimo

- Ref.: http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/robot.html

- Ref: http://world.honda.com/robot/movies/

## Entertainment industry

- Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, animatronic creature with skin

- Walt Disney Imagineering “Haunted Mansion© Disney” at Disneyland

- Smiling Robot of Hidetoshi Akasaw.

## Robot that responds to human expressionsCynthia Breazeal and her robot Donna

## Applications of biomimetic robots

- Walking forest machine for complex harvesting tasks (Plustech Oy, Finland). [http://www.plustech.fi/Walking1.html]

- Mattel’s Miracle Moves Baby doll making realistic behavior of a baby.

- Multi-limbed robots LEMUR (Limbed Excursion Mobile Utility Robot) at JPL.

## Elements of an EAP actuated robots

## EAP infrastructure

## Insects as workhorses and robots

- Insects were used by various researchers (e.g., University of Tokyo, Japan) as locomotives to carry backpack of wireless electronics.
- EAP offers the potential of making insect-like robot to replace the “real thing”.

- Reference: http://www.leopard.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

**Cricket**

**Spider**

**Cockroach **

## Non-electrical mechanically activated polymers

## Historical prospective

- Roentgen [1880] is credited for the first experiment with EAP electro-activating rubber-band to move a cantilever with mass attached to the free-end
- Sacerdote [1899] formulated the strain response of polymers to electric field activation
- Eguchi [1925] discovery of electrets* marks the first developed EAP
- Obtained when carnauba wax, rosin and beeswax are solidified by cooling while subjected to DC bias field.
- Another important milestone is Kawai [1969] observation of a substantial piezoelectric activity in PVF2.
- PVF2 films were applied as sensors, miniature actuators and speakers.
- Since the early 70’s the list of new EAP materials has grown considerably, but the most progress was made after 1990.
- * Electrets are dielectric materials that can store charges for long times and produce field variation in reaction to pressure.

## Electroactive Polymers (EAP)

**ELECTRONIC EAP**
- Dielectric EAP
- Electrostrictive Graft Elastomers
- Electrostrictive Paper
- Electro-Viscoelastic Elastomers
- Ferroelectric Polymers
- Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCE)
**IONIC EAP**
- Carbon Nanotubes (CNT)
- Conductive Polymers	(CP)
- ElectroRheological Fluids (ERF)
- Ionic Polymer Gels (IPG)
- Ionic Polymer Metallic Composite (IPMC)

## EAP Material Groups

## Electronic EAP ELECTRIC FIELD OR COULOMB FORCES DRIVEN ACTUATORS

**Ferroelectric **
**[Q. Zhang, Penn State U.]**

**Graft Elastomer**
**[J. Su, NASA LaRC]**

**Liquid crystals **
**(**Piezoelectric and thermo-mechanic)
**[B. R. Ratna,**** ****NRL]**

**Dielectric EAP**** **
**[R. Kornbluh, et al., SRI International]**

**Paper EAP **
**[J. Kim, Inha University, Korea]**

## Ionic EAPTurning chemistry to actuation

**IPMC**
**[JPL using ONRI, Japan & UNM materials]**

**ElectroRheological Fluids (ERF)**
**[ER Fluids Developments Ltd]**

**Ionic Gel**
**[T. Hirai, Shinshu University, Japan]**

**Carbon-Nanotubes**
**[R. Baughman et al, Honeywell, et al]**

## Current EAP Advantages and disadvantages

| EAP type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Electronic EAP | Can operate in room conditions for a long time
Rapid response (mSec levels)
Can hold strain under DC activation
Induces relatively large actuation forces | Requires high voltages  (~150V/m)
Requires compromise between strain and stress
Glass transition temperature is inadequate for low temperature actuation tasks |
| Ionic EAP  | Large bending displacements
Provides mostly bending actuation (longitudinal mechanisms can be constructed)
Requires low voltage | Except for CPs, ionic EAPs do not hold strain under DC voltage
Slow response (fraction of a second)
Bending EAPs induce a relatively low actuation force
Except for CPs, it is difficult to produce a consistent material (particularly IPMC) 
In aqueous systems the material sustains hydrolysis at >1.23-V |

## Various active EAP

- IPMC made by Keizuke Oguro, ONRI, Japan

- Ferroelectric EAP made by Qiming Zhang, Penn State University, USA

## Computational chemistry

- Computational chemistry may lead to material design tools using comprehensive modeling to methodically synthesize effective new EAPs

- (NASA-LaRC)

## EAP Material Characterization

- Different methods of characterization are needed for the various types of EAP.
- Efforts are underway to develop a database that allows comparing with properties of other actuators

## ApplicationsUnderway or under consideration

**Mechanisms**–   Lenses with controlled configuration–   Mechanical Lock–   Noise reduction
- 	–   Flight control surfaces/Jet flow control–   Anti G-Suit
**Robotics, Toys and Animatronics**
- Biologically-inspired Robots
- Toys and Animatronics
**Human-Machine Interfaces**
- Haptic interfaces
- Tactile interfaces
- Orientation indicator
- Smart flight/diving Suits
- Artificial Nose
- Braille display (for Blind Persons)
**Planetary Applications**
- –  Sensor cleaner/wiper
- –  Shape control of gossamer structures

- Medical Applications
- EAP for Biological Muscle Augmentation or Replacement
- Miniature in-Vivo EAP Robots for Diagnostics and Microsurgery
- Catheter Steering Mechanism
- Tissues Growth Engineering
- Interfacing Neuron to Electronic Devices Using EAP
- Active Bandage
- Liquid and Gases Flow Control
- Controlled Weaving
- Garment and Clothing
- MEMS
- EM Polymer Sensors &Transducers

## Exploration of planetary applications

_**Dust wiper**__** **_

_**Sample handling robotics**_

## MEMICA (MEchanical MIrroring using Controlled stiffness and Actuators) 

- MEMICA (MEchanical MIrroring using Controlled stiffness and Actuators)

- Electro-Rheological Fluid at reference (left) and activated states (right).  [Smart Technology Ltd, UK]

## Robonaut

## MEMICA-based exoskeleton for countermeasure of astronauts bones and muscles loss in microgravity.  It has potential application as:

- Assist patient rehabilitation
- Enhance human mobility

## Human-Machine Interfaces 

- Interfacing human and machine to complement or substitute our senses would enable important medical applications.
- Researchers at Duke U. connected electrodes to a brain of a money and were able to control a robotic arm. This breakthrough opens the possibility that the human brain would be able to operate prosthetics that are driven by EAP.
- Feedback is required to “feel” the environment around the artificial limbs. Currently, researchers are developing tactile sensors, haptic devices, and other interfaces.

**Tactile Interface **
**(S. Tadokoro, Kobe U., Japan)**

**Active Braille Display**

## Rapid biomimetic prototyping reality

## Robotic Fish The first commercial EAP-based productDeveloped by Kazuo Onishi and Shingo Sewa, EAMEX Corp Manufactured and marketed by DAIICHI KOGEI Corp.

## The grand challenge for EAP as Artificial Muscles

## Challenges to biomimetic robots

**Challenges to biomimetic robots**

## Platforms for EAP Implementation

**Robotic hand platform for EAP**
**[G. Whiteley, Sheffield Hallam U.,**** ****UK]**

**Android making facial expressions**
**[Sculptured by D. Hanson, U. of Texas, Dallas, and instrumented by jointly with G. Pioggia, University of Pisa, Italy]**

## Related recent and upcoming books

- http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/yosi/yosi-books.htm

## Other References

**Proceedings**
_*SPIE*_
- Proceedings of the SPIE's 6th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, Vol. 3669, ISBN 0-8194-3143-5, (1999), pp. 1-414.
- Proceedings of the SPIE’s Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices Conf., 7th Smart Structures and Materials Symposium, Vol. 3987, ISBN 0-8194-3605-4 (2000), pp 1-360.
- Proceedings of the SPIE’s Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices, 8th Smart Structures and Materials Symposium, Vol. 4329, ISBN 0-8194-4015-9 (2001), pp. 1-524.
- Proceedings of the SPIE’s Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices, 9th Smart Structures and Materials Symposium, Vol. 4695 , (2002), to be published.
_*MRS*_
- “Electroactive Polymers (EAP),” ISBN 1-55899-508-0, 1999 MRS Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 600, Warrendale, PA, (2001), pp 1-336.
- “Electroactive Polymers (EAP) and Rapid Prototyping,” ISBN 1-55899-634-6, 2001 MRS Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 698, Warrendale, PA, (2002), pp 1-359.
**Websites**
- WW-EAP Webhub: **http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/EAP-web.htm**
**WW-EAP Newsletter**
**http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/WW-EAP-Newsletter.html**

## SUMMARY

- Artificial technologies (AI, AM, and others) for making biologically inspired devices and instruments are increasingly being commercialized.
- Materials that resemble human and animals are widely used by movie industry and animatronics have advanced to become powerful tools.
- Electroactive polymers are human made actuators that are the closest to resemble biological muscle potentially enabling unique robotic capabilities.
- Technology has advanced to the level that biologically inspired robots are taking increasing role making science fiction ideas closer to an engineering reality.

## Nothing can stop automation