Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

Deformable Tip Mount for Soft Growing Eversion Robots

Cem Suulker, Sophie Skach, Danyaal Kaleel, Taqi Abrar, Zain Murtaza, Dilara Suulker, Kaspar Althoefer

TL;DR

This work tackles attaching payloads to soft growing eversion robots without compromising their ability to pass through tight spaces. It introduces a fabric-based soft cap that slips over the eversion tip and uses friction to stay in place, with two textile-pattern implementations to adapt its diameter. Through case studies, the authors show the cap enables eversion of protruding components, preserves squeezability through narrow openings, and maintains tip mobility during navigation actuation. The results demonstrate robust payload transport and sustained tip control, enabling practical integration of sensors and electronics with vine robots.

Abstract

Here we present a flexible tip mount for eversion (vine) robots. This soft cap allows attaching a payload to an eversion robot while allowing moving through narrow openings, as well as the eversion of protruding objects, and expanded surfaces.

Deformable Tip Mount for Soft Growing Eversion Robots

TL;DR

This work tackles attaching payloads to soft growing eversion robots without compromising their ability to pass through tight spaces. It introduces a fabric-based soft cap that slips over the eversion tip and uses friction to stay in place, with two textile-pattern implementations to adapt its diameter. Through case studies, the authors show the cap enables eversion of protruding components, preserves squeezability through narrow openings, and maintains tip mobility during navigation actuation. The results demonstrate robust payload transport and sustained tip control, enabling practical integration of sensors and electronics with vine robots.

Abstract

Here we present a flexible tip mount for eversion (vine) robots. This soft cap allows attaching a payload to an eversion robot while allowing moving through narrow openings, as well as the eversion of protruding objects, and expanded surfaces.
Paper Structure (7 sections, 5 figures)

This paper contains 7 sections, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Soft Cap Design
  3. Case Study & Results
  4. Quality 1: Eversion of protruding solid objects
  5. Quality 2: Squeezability
  6. Quality 3: Navigability
  7. Conclusions

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Left, an inflated eversion robot. Middle, a soft cap made from flexible fabric slipped over the tip of eversion robot. Right, a soft cap made using non-flexible fabric and elastic bands, slipped over the tip of eversion robot. A tool, here a camera, is attached to the caps.
  • Figure 2: Pattern constructions a) using elastic finely knitted rib fabric material, and b) using non-elastic woven fabric and elastic band.
  • Figure 3: a) An eversion robot with a soft cap with a camera attached to it b) The cap successfully allows eversion of 1.7 cm long protruding material.
  • Figure 4: An eversion robot with a soft cap and camera attached to it, squeezing through a narrow opening. Diameter of the robot and width of the opening are indicated.
  • Figure 5: An eversion robot with a soft cap reorienting its tip.