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ECB-ART-50531
Front Robot AI 2022 Jan 06;8:792831. doi: 10.3389/frobt.2021.792831.
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One Soft Step: Bio-Inspired Artificial Muscle Mechanisms for Space Applications.

Ashby J , Rosset S , Henke EM , Anderson IA .


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Soft robots, devices with deformable bodies and powered by soft actuators, may fill a hitherto unexplored niche in outer space. All space-bound payloads are heavily limited in terms of mass and volume, due to the cost of launch and the size of spacecraft. Being constructed from stretchable materials allows many possibilities for compacting soft robots for launch and later deploying into a much larger volume, through folding, rolling, and inflation. This morphability can also be beneficial for adapting to operation in different environments, providing versatility, and robustness. To be truly soft, a robot must be powered by soft actuators. Dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs) offer many advantages as artificial muscles. They are lightweight, have a high work density, and are capable of artificial proprioception. Taking inspiration from nature, in particular the starfish podia, we present here bio-inspired inflatable DET actuators powering low-mass robots capable of performing complex motion that can be compacted to a fraction of their operating size.

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References [+] :
Brochu, Advances in dielectric elastomers for actuators and artificial muscles. 2010, Pubmed