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Stretchable Kirigami Components for Composite Meso-Scale Robots

Stretchable Kirigami Components for Composite Meso-Scale Robots

Authors :
Kyu-Jin Cho
Tatsuya Higashisaka
Jamie Paik
Keisuke Nagato
Amir Firouzeh
Source :
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. 5:1883-1890
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2020.

Abstract

Layer-by-layer manufacturing of composite mechanisms allows fast and cost-effective fabrication of customized robots in millimeter and centimeter scales which is promising for research fields that rely on frequent and numerous physical iterations. Due to the limited number of components that can be directly integrated in composite structures, however, often an assembly step is necessary which diminishes the benefits of this manufacturing method. Inspired by the Japanese craft of cutting (kiri-) paper (-gami), Kirigami, we introduce quasi-2D and highly stretchable functional Kirigami layers for direct integration into the composite mechanisms. Depending on the material and geometrical design; functional Kirigami layers can perform as flat springs, stretchable electronics, sensors or actuators. These components will facilitate the design and manufacturing of composite robots for different applications. To illustrate the effectiveness of these components, we designed and realized a foldable composite inchworm robot with three Kirigami layers serving as actuator, sensor and contact pad with directional friction. We elaborate on the working principle of each layer and report on their combined performance in the robot.

Details

ISSN :
23773774
Volume :
5
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....84a1aad09c4cdcb3635fadd22527ed61
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1109/lra.2020.2969924