The sensor uses direct physical contact to provide detailed information about the shape, surface characteristics, and internal structure of objects encountered in the surfzone. Successful completion of the proposed research will lead to the development of a low cost and reliable sensing method that provides new and valuable information for mine detection. National Air and Space Administration Dexterous, whole arm manipulation requires the hyperredundancy observed in elephant trunks and squid tentacles. This project develops mechatronic systems that mimic the functionality of their biological counterparts. Controlled, pneumatic muscle-like actuators are designed and integrated into a biologically inspired structure.
Experiments demonstrate the performance of the proposed robotic arms.