电活性双稳态机构及其在软体机器人中应用的研究进展

电活性双稳态机构兼具电活性材料的仿人工肌肉快速电致变形能力及双稳态机构在两个位置上精准定位的特性,是新一代具有主动响应能力的机械机构,在航空航天、医疗康复、生物仿生等机器人领域中具有重要的应用前景。综述梳理和分析近十五年内电活性双稳态机构的研究成果,按照运动方式可分成面内运动与离面运动,按照结构设计可分成一体化与非一体化。通过增加额外的机械机构,可将电活性双稳态扩展为三稳态,将静态驱动扩展为动态谐振驱动。基于电活性双稳态机构的软体机器人具有更精准的位移输出和更迅速的运动响应,可实现多物体的自适应抓取、仿生弹舌驱动,变刚度等功能,以及发展具有在陆地、水下和空中的运动的柔性软体机器人。目前的电活性双稳态机构在设计方法、控制机制、稳态状态调控、制造技术中存在诸多前沿问题,需要机械、力学、材料等多学科知识的交叉融合。

Research Progress of Electroactive Bistable Mechanism and Its Application in Soft Robots

The electroactive bistable mechanism (EBM) is capable of both the fast electro-induced deformation as artificial muscles in electroactive polymer and the precise positioning characteristics of the bistable mechanism at two positions. It is a new generation of mechanical mechanisms with active response capabilities. It has important application prospects in aerospace, medical rehabilitation, biomimetics and other robot fields. This research reviewed and analyzed the research status of EBM in the past 15 years. The EBM, can be classified as in-plane mode and out-of-planemode with respect to the motion direction, and according to the structure design, it can be classified as integrated and separated. By adding extra mechanisms, the bistable state can be extended to a tristable state, and the static actuation can be extended to a dynamic resonance actuation. Soft robot that built on an EBMhas more accurate displacement output and quicker motion response. It can achieve the functions of adaptive grasping of multiple objects, biomimetic tongue, variable stiffness, as well as the locomotion in land, underwater and air. The current EBM have many cutting-edge problems in design methods, control strategy, stable state regulation, and manufacturing technology, which require the multidisciplinary knowledge such as machinery, mechanics, and materials.