Soft wall-climbing robots

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (25) ◽  
pp. eaat2874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoying Gu ◽  
Jiang Zou ◽  
Ruike Zhao ◽  
Xuanhe Zhao ◽  
Xiangyang Zhu

Existing robots capable of climbing walls mostly rely on rigid actuators such as electric motors, but soft wall-climbing robots based on muscle-like actuators have not yet been achieved. Here, we report a tethered soft robot capable of climbing walls made of wood, paper, and glass at 90° with a speed of up to 0.75 body length per second and multimodal locomotion, including climbing, crawling, and turning. This soft wall-climbing robot is enabled by (i) dielectric-elastomer artificial muscles that generate fast periodic deformation of the soft robotic body, (ii) electroadhesive feet that give spatiotemporally controlled adhesion of different parts of the robot on the wall, and (iii) a control strategy that synchronizes the body deformation and feet electroadhesion for stable climbing. We further demonstrate that our soft robot could carry a camera to take videos in a vertical tunnel, change its body height to navigate through a confined space, and follow a labyrinth-like planar trajectory. Our soft robot mimicked the vertical climbing capability and the agile adaptive motions exhibited by soft organisms.

2015 ◽  
Vol 740 ◽  
pp. 171-174
Author(s):  
Xiao Jin Fu ◽  
Zhao Yang Sun ◽  
Ran Zhao ◽  
Jian Cheng Yin

The theory of gait is one of walking ways which is efficient, fast and stable in a variety of industrial robots, offering a structure of climbing robots in a way of gait and climbing with the gait motion in paper. Through the results of analysis by various industrial software, the presented structure of climbing robots which is composed of two terminal parts and two robot arms that is the part of pedestal and climbing mechanism. In the process of climbing, realizing gripping, Swing work, turning work, an orderly motion and get to the aimed place finally through alternate between the upper and lower part of the body by the control of SCM. The presented method has not only improved many problems like complicated climbing structure, controlling rough, slow-motion and unable thronging obstacles, but also accomplished the subsequent operations like tools delivering, pole testing, clearing, maintenance work, furthermore, there has more comprehensive benefits.


2013 ◽  
Vol 572 ◽  
pp. 624-627
Author(s):  
Yu Xuan Huang ◽  
Ling Cheng Kong ◽  
Wen Tao Liu

Aiming at the existing problems and shortcomings of current climbing robots which are short of migratory climbing, the climbing forms of robots are analyzed by means of theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). The contradictions of mobility and structural complexity are established and solved by combining with the TRIZ contradiction matrix. According to dynamic inventive theory, a new type of turnover climbing form is established. The new type of turnover climbing robot consists of the scalable body, the turnover arm installed on the body, the clamping claws and the controller installed on the turnover arm.


Robotica ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Nana Zhu ◽  
Hongbin Zang ◽  
Bing Liao ◽  
Huimin Qi ◽  
Zheng Yang ◽  
...  

SUMMARY Soft robots can perform effectively inspecting than rigid robots in some special environments such as nuclear pipelines and high-voltage cables. This article presents a versatile quadruped soft rod-climbing robot (SR-CR) that consists of four bending actuators and a telescopic actuator. The bending actuator is composed of flexible bellows with multiple folding air chambers, elastic telescopic layer (ETL), and strain-limiting layer (SLL). The telescopic actuator provides the energy for the robot to climb forward. The SR-CR is activated by a control strategy that alternates the body deformation and feet pneumatic clenched for stable climbing. The robot can climb rods at 90°, with the maximum speed of up to 2.33 mm/s (0.018 body length/s). At 0.83 HZ, the maximum moving speed of the robot in climbing horizontally parallel rods can reach 18.43 mm/s. In addition, the SR-CR can also achieve multiple impressive functions, including turning around a corner at a rate of 7 mm/s (0.054 body length/s), carrying a payload of 3.7 times its self-weight on horizontal rods at a speed of 9 mm/s (0.069 body length/s).


Author(s):  
Shirazu I. ◽  
Theophilus. A. Sackey ◽  
Elvis K. Tiburu ◽  
Mensah Y. B. ◽  
Forson A.

The relationship between body height and body weight has been described by using various terms. Notable among them is the body mass index, body surface area, body shape index and body surface index. In clinical setting the first descriptive parameter is the BMI scale, which provides information about whether an individual body weight is proportionate to the body height. Since the development of BMI, two other body parameters have been developed in an attempt to determine the relationship between body height and weight. These are the body surface area (BSA) and body surface index (BSI). Generally, these body parameters are described as clinical health indicators that described how healthy an individual body response to the other internal organs. The aim of the study is to discuss the use of BSI as a better clinical health indicator for preclinical assessment of body-organ/tissue relationship. Hence organ health condition as against other body composition. In addition the study is `also to determine the best body parameter the best predict other parameters for clinical application. The model parameters are presented as; modeled height and weight; modelled BSI and BSA, BSI and BMI and modeled BSA and BMI. The models are presented as clinical application software for comfortable working process and designed as GUI and CAD for use in clinical application.


Physiotherapy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzena Ślężyńska ◽  
Grzegorz Mięsok ◽  
Kamila Mięsok

AbstractIntroduction: The aim of the physical activity of the intellectually disabled is the strengthening of health, creating movement habits, promoting active recreation, and maintaining exercise capacity. Skillfully applied physical activity allows to mitigate the effects of pathology and create the compensations to enable the intellectually disabled people to live relatively independently. Physical activity and sport also increase their chances to integrate with their families, peers, and social environment.Materials and methods: The research targeted a group of 134 people with moderate or considerable intellectual disability (65 women and 69 men), aged 20-53 years, who participated in occupational therapy workshops in Jastrzębie Zdrój, Rybnik, and Żory. Physical fitness was assessed using the “Eurofit Special” test and balance tests. Measurements of body height and mass were also taken and then used to calculate the body mass index (BMI).Results: A salient somatic trait was the greater body mass relative to height among the persons with considerable disability, clearly illustrated by the BMI. This explained their greater heaviness in performing physical exercises. An even greater difference between participants with moderate and considerable intellectual disability was visible in physical fitness. Obviously, older persons did not achieve as good results in fitness tests as the younger ones, yet the participants were more differentiated by the level of disability than age. Most symptomatic differences to the disadvantage of the considerably disabled were observed in explosive strength, speed, abdominal muscle strength, and flexibility.Conclusions: Significant differences in fitness between the compared groups make it necessary to take into account the level of intellectual disability in the course of physical education and sport, at work, and in household duties.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaimie Krems ◽  
Steven L. Neuberg

Heavier bodies—particularly female bodies—are stigmatized. Such fat stigma is pervasive, painful to experience, and may even facilitate weight gain, thereby perpetuating the obesity-stigma cycle. Leveraging research on functionally distinct forms of fat (deposited on different parts of the body), we propose that body shape plays an important but largely underappreciated role in fat stigma, above and beyond fat amount. Across three samples varying in participant ethnicity (White and Black Americans) and nation (U.S., India), patterns of fat stigma reveal that, as hypothesized, participants differently stigmatized equally-overweight or -obese female targets as a function of target shape, sometimes even more strongly stigmatizing targets with less rather than more body mass. Such findings suggest value in updating our understanding of fat stigma to include body shape and in querying a predominating, but often implicit, theoretical assumption that people simply view all fat as bad (and more fat as worse).


Author(s):  
Rajendra Pai N. ◽  
U. Govindaraju

Ayurveda in its principle has given importance to individualistic approach rather than generalize. Application of this examination can be clearly seem like even though two patients suffering from same disease, the treatment modality may change depending upon the results of Dashvidha Pariksha. Prakruti and Pramana both used in Dashvidha Pariksha. Both determine the health of the individual and Bala (strength) of Rogi (Patient). Ayurveda followed Swa-angula Pramana as the unit of measurement for measuring the different parts of the body which is prime step assessing patient before treatment. Sushruta and Charaka had stated different Angula Pramana of each Pratyanga (body parts). Specificity is the characteristic property of Swa-angula Pramana. This can be applicable in present era for example artificial limbs. A scientific research includes collection, compilation, analysis and lastly scrutiny of entire findings to arrive at a conclusion. Study of Pramana and its relation with Prakruti was conducted in 1000 volunteers using Prakruti Parkishan proforma with an objective of evaluation of Anguli Pramana in various Prakriti. It was observed co-relating Pramana in each Prakruti and Granthokta Pramana that there is no vast difference in measurement of head, upper limb and lower limb. The observational study shows closer relation of features with classical texts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Jin Zhu ◽  
Jun An ◽  
Yuqing Wang ◽  
Yili Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractCongenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are associated with different patterns of malnutrition and growth retardation, which may vary worldwide and need to be evaluated according to local conditions. Although tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is one of the first described CHDs, the etiology outcomes in growth and development of TOF in early age child is still unclear in most cases. This study was designed to investigate the growth retardation status of Chinese pediatric TOF patients under 5 years old. The body height, body weight and body mass index (BMI) of 262 pediatric patients (138 boys and 124 girls) who underwent corrective surgery for TOF between 2014 and 2018 were measured using conventional methods. The average body height, body weight and BMI of the patients were significantly lower than WHO Child Growth Standards, while the most affected was body height. Meanwhile, higher stunting frequency and greater deterioration of both the body height and weight happened in elder age (aged 13–60 months) rather than in infant stage (aged 0–12 months) among these patients. Our results confirmed that intervention should be given at early age to prevent the growth retardation of TOF patients getting severer.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2064
Author(s):  
Zhenyu Wei ◽  
Ke Wang ◽  
Hui Wu ◽  
Zhen Wang ◽  
Chuanying Pan ◽  
...  

Stature and weight are important growth and development traits for animals, which also significantly affect the productivity of livestock. Polymorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) is located in the growth-related quantitative trait nucleotides (QTN), and its variation has been determined to significantly affect the body stature of bovines. This study found that novel 15-bp InDel could significantly influence important growth traits in goats. The frequencies of genotypes of the 15-bp mutation and relationship with core growth traits such as body weight, body height, height at hip cross, chest circumference, hip width and body index were explored in 1581 individuals among 4 Chinese native goat breeds. The most frequent genotypes of Shaanbei white Cashmere goat (SWCG), Inner Mongolia White Cashmere goat (IMCG) and Guanzhong Dairy goat (GZDG) were II genotypes (insertion/insertion), and the frequency of ID genotype (insertion/deletion) was found to be slightly higher than that of II genotype in Hainan Black goat (HNBG), showing that the frequency of the I allele was higher than that of the D allele. In adult goats, there were significant differences between 15-bp variation and body weight, chest circumference and body height traits in SWCG (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the locus was also found to be significantly correlated with the body index of HNBG (p = 0.044) and hip width in GZDG (p = 0.002). In regard to lambs, there were significant differences in height at the hip cross of SWCG (p = 0.036) and hip width in IMWC (p = 0.005). The corresponding results suggest that the 15-bp InDel mutation of PLAG1 is associated with the regulation of important growth characteristics of both adult and lamb of goats, which may serve as efficient molecular markers for goat breeding.


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