Mimicking Adaptation and Plasticity in WORMS

Project Information

MAPWORMS

Grant agreement ID: 101046846

DOI

10.3030/101046846

Project closed

EC signature date 9 February 2022

Start date 1 May 2022

End date 30 April 2026

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 2 896 750,00

EU contribution

€ 2 896 750,00

Coordinated by

SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MAPWORMS (Mimicking Adaptation and Plasticity in WORMS)

Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Traditional robots, controlled by a central unit, are built for specific tasks in structured environments. The MAPWORMS project challenges this paradigm by developing soft robots inspired by marine worms, capable of mechano-morphing and adapting to environmental stimuli without centralized control.

At the heart of MAPWORMS' design is the Sipuncula, a group of unsegmented marine worms renowned for their ability to deform and extend their simple yet efficient body structure. Leveraging this bio-inspiration, MAPWORMS creates robots that mimic the hydrostatic skeleton of these worms, utilizing a fluid-filled vesicle and actuation units. This enables movement through fluidic transmission, replicating the worms' natural adaptability.

Incorporating smart materials and structures, these robots can autonomously respond to environmental stimuli such as light, pH, temperature, and magnetic fields. Movements are triggered by internal stresses or changes in stiffness, eliminating the need for external commands. The design is scalable, functioning effectively across a range of sizes (from millimeters to tens of centimeters) and using various actuation technologies.

This adaptability makes MAPWORMS robots suitable for diverse applications, including medical technologies and environmental monitoring. They excel in tasks requiring manipulation, remote sensing, or navigation in hazardous and complex environments.

By combining bio-inspired principles, smart materials, and adaptive mechanisms, MAPWORMS pioneers a new generation of soft robots, setting a benchmark for versatility and intelligent robotic functionality.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The MAPWORMS project is dedicated to advancing robotics through bio-inspired design, drawing insights from marine worms to develop adaptive, mechano-morphing soft robots capable of responding to external stimuli. Its goals are structured around four key objectives, each contributing to scientific and technological innovation:

S-Ob1: Studying Adaptation in Marine Annelida
This objective focuses on the evolutionary adaptations of marine Annelida, particularly Sipuncula, which inform the design of adaptable robotic systems. Key activities included:
- Genetic barcoding and morphological studies of species along Salento's coast, revealing cryptic diversity and ecological adaptations.
- Detailed 2D and 3D analyses using micro-CT to understand anatomical and biomechanical properties.
- Observational studies of the model species Phascolosoma stephensoni to derive movement parameters.
Findings, presented in various deliverables, underline the ecological adaptability of these species, shaping the integration of biological mechanisms into robotics.

S-Ob2: Mathematical and Morphological Modelling
This objective seeks to replicate the plasticity and morphing mechanisms of marine worms, such as burrowing and body protrusions, through advanced modelling. Highlights include:
- Development of 2D and 3D morphing models based on Koiter’s shell theory and FEM simulations, capturing cylindrical-to-conical transitions and introvert dynamics.
- Simulation of magnetically-driven actuation units, mimicking muscular systems.
- Integration of stimuli-responsive hydrogels to replicate metabolic and mechanical adaptations.
Deliverables demonstrated the potential for time-resolved morphing behaviors and energy-efficient configurations, laying the groundwork for adaptive robotic systems.

S-Ob3: Development of Smart Materials
The project developed stimuli-responsive hydrogels capable of stiffness modulation, mimicking biological responsiveness. Achievements included:
- Creation of redox- and light-responsive cryogels for reversible stiffness changes and load-release applications.
- Development of DNA-based hydrogels with pH responsiveness for controlled actuation. These materials were successfully integrated into robotic devices, providing mechano-morphing capabilities essential for adaptive tasks in unstructured environments.

S-Ob4: Modular and Morphing Robots
The final objective combines smart materials and actuation units to create modular robots that respond dynamically to environmental stimuli. Key advancements include:
- Design of bending and twisting magnetic actuation units, and hemispherical pneumatic actuation units.
- Development of fluidic transmission systems, enabling dynamic reshaping and movement.
- Exploration of 3D printing for efficient prototyping of soft robotics components.
Applications include medical devices like pH-triggered wound treatments, neurosurgical tools, and nasal access tubes for minimally invasive procedures.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Results beyond the state of the art:
- DNA based stiffness switchable stimuli responsive cryogel:
Stiffness-switchable acrylamide/bis-acrylamide cryogel, functionalized with pH-responsive reconfigurable i-motif nucleic acid, has been developed and successfully demonstrated. In addition, entrapment of enzymes in the cryogel framework leads to enhanced biocatalytic reactions and enhanced cascaded biocatalytic reactions. The developed materials exhibit superior mechanical properties and response-times compared to standard DNA-based hydrogels. Furthermore, the gels were used to construct temperature- and pH- or glucose-driven bilayer bending actuators.

- Design process for new robotic functionalities inspired by marine worms:
The developed design process is starting with a structured definition of motion primitives of the investigated worm, followed by the analysis of specific behaviours and anatomical features (using various imaging technology, such as video, microCT, etc). The acquired information will be used for mathematical modelling of the selected motion patterns and required material properties will be determined accordingly. Final step in the process is the design of a robot prototype using scalable modules.

- MAPWORMS robot validated in a defined use case:
A robot prototype developed according to the process defined in Innovation 2 (and thus also validating this process) and preferably using the novel cryogel described in Innovation 1 and/or the magnetic actuation principles from Innovation 4 will be realized and evaluated in the context of a selected use scenario (e.g. in the medical domain). One basic functionality of the robot is that it autonomously reacts to a certain external stimulus in order to react with the surrounding. One other functionality of the robot is the technical representation of the eversion/inversion motion principle of the investigated worm based on the in-depth analysis in the framework of Innovation 2.

- Actuation units with programmable anisotropic magnetization
The innovation mainly includes soft actuation units that are featured by programmable anisotropic magnetization, multi-layer structure and that are eligible for different type of movement/ actuation. The actuation units will be realized by combining composite magnetic materials and non-responsive structural elements with the possibility to program the magnetization profile (thus the specific response to applied magnetic fields), the geometry, the structural and mechanical properties as well as the responsiveness to other stimuli (by changing the material acting as matrix in the composite). Smart molding, customized 3d printing and hybrid fabrication techniques will be employed to develop the actuation units and are part of the innovation.

Design concept of the worm-inspired robot that will be developed in the MAPWORMS Project.