Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TexRobots (Textile based soft sensing actuators for soft robotic applications)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2019-05-01 al 2021-04-30
Physical therapy has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for improving muscle function in acute patients. Robots have been used to aid in the treatment of people with neuromuscular disabilities since the early 1990s, and soft robotics provides a unique platform for developing wearable assistive devices to empower human motions due to their inherent conformability to the body and enables safe human-device interaction. Unlike rigid counterparts, they are made with stretchable and deformable components. Highly complex motions can be achieved due to their high deformability and flexibility; thus, their ability to adapt to curved and irregular surfaces allows them to overcome the limitations of rigid robots and makes them more compatible for human interactions. A general approach to manufacturing soft pneumatic actuators is based on the use of elastomeric materials such as silicone and rubber, followed by the use of pneumatic pressure to power actuators. Such structures can be built using monolithic or layered structures with embedded chambers. Although elastic materials have superior properties such as heat resistance, chemical resistance, and the ability to conform to different range motions, the properties of elastomeric materials – material density, stiffness, and strength – present challenges in wearable applications.
Objectives of this Marie Skłodowska Curie Action have been to employ textile materials to achieve both sensing and actuation. The textile-based approach leads to system that are lighter and with higher force-to-weight ratio than the elastomeric counterpart. The seamless integration of the sensing part during the knitting stage also fix any integration problems between the sensor and actuator body, and the knitting technology enables the creation of soft actuators with different range of elastic regions during the manufacturing stage of fabric structures.
Objectives of this Marie Skłodowska Curie Action have been to employ textile materials to achieve both sensing and actuation. The textile-based approach leads to system that are lighter and with higher force-to-weight ratio than the elastomeric counterpart. The seamless integration of the sensing part during the knitting stage also fix any integration problems between the sensor and actuator body, and the knitting technology enables the creation of soft actuators with different range of elastic regions during the manufacturing stage of fabric structures.
Work was conducted via 6 work packages. The Project resulted in 2 journal papers and 2 conferences paper. There are also one journal paper and one conference paper under preparation. We utilized, for the first time, whole-garment knitting techniques to manufacture a seamless fully knitted pneumatic bending actuator, which represents an advancement to existing cut-and-sew manufacturing techniques. Various machine knitting parameters were investigated to create anisotropic actuator structures, which exhibited a range of bending and extension motions when pressurized with air. The functionality of the actuator has been demonstrated through integration into an assistive glove for hand grip action. The achieved curvature range when pressurizing the actuators up to 150 kPa was sufficient to grasp objects down to 3 cm in diameter and up to 125 g in weight. This manufacturing technique is rapid and scalable, paving the way for mass-production of customizable soft robotic wearables. We also filled a patent application describing sensor integrated soft actuators via machine knitting.
We have published 2 research publications in peer-reviewed journals.
1) Machine-Knitted Seamless Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robotics: Design, Fabrication, and Characterization. In Actuators (Vol. 10, No. 5, p. 94). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
2) Development and characterization of conductive textile (cotton) for wearable electronics and soft robotic applications. Textile Research Journal, 90(15-16), pp.1792-1804.
We have also published 2 conference papers.
1) Real-Time Human Activity Recognition Using Textile-Based Sensors. In EAI International Conference on Body Area Networks (pp. 168-183). Springer, Cham.
2) Textile-based pneumatic actuator for soft-robotics applications. Autex 2021-20th World Textile Conference
We have published 2 research publications in peer-reviewed journals.
1) Machine-Knitted Seamless Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robotics: Design, Fabrication, and Characterization. In Actuators (Vol. 10, No. 5, p. 94). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
2) Development and characterization of conductive textile (cotton) for wearable electronics and soft robotic applications. Textile Research Journal, 90(15-16), pp.1792-1804.
We have also published 2 conference papers.
1) Real-Time Human Activity Recognition Using Textile-Based Sensors. In EAI International Conference on Body Area Networks (pp. 168-183). Springer, Cham.
2) Textile-based pneumatic actuator for soft-robotics applications. Autex 2021-20th World Textile Conference
I have successfully developed soft sensing actuators by levaraging textile materials and knitting technology. I demonstrated the design, fabrication, and characterization process of a seamless knit actuator that has reduced weight and volume with respect to elastomeric and tendon actuators. The actuator was manipulated via a compressed fluid such as air to assist hand movements by mimicking fingers’ flex and extend motion. For the first time in literature, whole-garment knitting techniques have been utilized to manufacture a seamless fully knitted pneumatic flexing and extending actuator. Unfortunately, The COVID-19 crisis has had a wide-ranging impact on the research project. The lockdown has significantly disrupted normal communication channels, resulting in the cancellation of meetings and long-planned events, among other things. Additionally, it has resulted in delays in the completion of some tasks due to the laboratory closures and travel restrictions. In spite of the adverse effects of COVID-19, successful and flourishing results of this project and my career
progress are beyond my expectations. We have attended several scientific meetings and project results were disseminated not only in these meetings but also in other activities to the general audiences such as high school students. I have applied for several different research grants. Most importantly, I submitted the proposal to the ERC-2021-STG and I have been informed that my proposal was retained following Step 1 of the evaluation and will now proceed to the second step. I have also been appointed as Associate Professor (Tenure position) in the Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design at Istanbul Technical University.
Through my MSCA Individual Fellowship, I expanded my knowledge from the manufacturing side of the soft structures to the controlling and application side of soft structures by acquiring new skills such as gaining expertise in control systems. This is also illustrated by my teaching in automatic control for textile students at undergraduate level.
Having secured MSCA IF, I established a soft sensor laboratory as a co-founder at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. The laboratory has currently 11 team members that include 2 Postdocs, 3 PhD students, 3 Msc students, 3 Bachelor students.
During the course of the project, we succesfully produced a prototype of soft robotic glove and filed patent application. Our plan is to apply National new ideas and new products research funding program (https://www.tubitak.gov.tr/en/funds/academy/national-support-programmes/content-1005-national-new-ideas-and-new-products-research-funding-program)
with industrial partner to increase the technology readyness level of the prototype for potential commercialization opportunity. Flexible, user friendly and light-weight asssistive glove will ease the life of patient and will provide great support to them. Moreover, it will help to enhance people’s interest in life by providing them an aid and reducing their dependency on other human beings. They will be able to do their chores by themselves. People using assistive gloves will be benefitted from an increased feeling of well-being.
The textile and medical industries are expected to benefit from this project. We collaborated with Tetas (the local distributor of Shima Seiki knitting machines) to develop soft actuators. The successful collaboration and knowledge transfer have boosted the confidence of the local knitting/clothing industry to seize their hands into this unexplored territory. This will help the industry diversify its product line by including smart textile-related articles
progress are beyond my expectations. We have attended several scientific meetings and project results were disseminated not only in these meetings but also in other activities to the general audiences such as high school students. I have applied for several different research grants. Most importantly, I submitted the proposal to the ERC-2021-STG and I have been informed that my proposal was retained following Step 1 of the evaluation and will now proceed to the second step. I have also been appointed as Associate Professor (Tenure position) in the Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design at Istanbul Technical University.
Through my MSCA Individual Fellowship, I expanded my knowledge from the manufacturing side of the soft structures to the controlling and application side of soft structures by acquiring new skills such as gaining expertise in control systems. This is also illustrated by my teaching in automatic control for textile students at undergraduate level.
Having secured MSCA IF, I established a soft sensor laboratory as a co-founder at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. The laboratory has currently 11 team members that include 2 Postdocs, 3 PhD students, 3 Msc students, 3 Bachelor students.
During the course of the project, we succesfully produced a prototype of soft robotic glove and filed patent application. Our plan is to apply National new ideas and new products research funding program (https://www.tubitak.gov.tr/en/funds/academy/national-support-programmes/content-1005-national-new-ideas-and-new-products-research-funding-program)
with industrial partner to increase the technology readyness level of the prototype for potential commercialization opportunity. Flexible, user friendly and light-weight asssistive glove will ease the life of patient and will provide great support to them. Moreover, it will help to enhance people’s interest in life by providing them an aid and reducing their dependency on other human beings. They will be able to do their chores by themselves. People using assistive gloves will be benefitted from an increased feeling of well-being.
The textile and medical industries are expected to benefit from this project. We collaborated with Tetas (the local distributor of Shima Seiki knitting machines) to develop soft actuators. The successful collaboration and knowledge transfer have boosted the confidence of the local knitting/clothing industry to seize their hands into this unexplored territory. This will help the industry diversify its product line by including smart textile-related articles