Credit card-sized soft pumps power wearable artificial muscles

Date:
February 17, 2021
Source:
University of Bristol
Summary:
Robotic clothing that is entirely soft and could help people to move
more easily is a step closer to reality thanks to the development
of a new flexible and lightweight power system for soft robotics.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Robotic clothing that is entirely soft and could help people to move
more easily is a step closer to reality thanks to the development of a
new flexible and lightweight power system for soft robotics.


==========================================================================
The discovery by a team at the University of Bristol could pave the
way for wearable assist devices for people with disabilities and people suffering from age-related muscle degeneration. The study is published
today [17 February] in Science Robotics.

Soft robots are made from compliant materials that can stretch and
twist. These materials can be made into artificial muscles that contract
when air is pumped into them. The softness of these muscles makes then
suited to powering assistive clothing. Until now, however, these pneumatic artificial muscles have been powered by conventional electromagnetic (motor-driven) pumps, which are bulky, noisy, complex and expensive.

Researchers from Bristol's SoftLab and Bristol Robotics Laboratory led by Jonathan Rossiter, Professor of Robotics, have successfully demonstrated
a new electro-pneumatic pump that is soft, bendable, low-cost and easy
to make.

In the paper the team describe how the new credit card-sized soft pump
can power pneumatic bubble artificial muscles and pump fluids. The team
also outline their next steps to make power clothing a reality.

Professor Rossiter from Department of Engineering Mathematics at
Bristol and Head of the Soft Robotics group at BRL, said: "The lives
of thousands of people with mobility issues could be transformed with
this new technology. The new pumps are an important development that
will help us deliver comfortable, and stylish, power-assisting clothing.

"We are now working to make the electro-pneumatic
pumps smaller and more efficient and are actively
seeking partners to commercialise the technologies." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Bristol. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. R. S. Diteesawat, T. Helps, M. Taghavi,
J. Rossiter. Electro-pneumatic
pumps for soft robotics. Science Robotics, 2021; 6 (51): eabc3721
DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abc3721 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210217151040.htm

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