A Computational Approach to the Design of a Hybrid Compliant Mechanism with Geometric Non-linear Deformations
Date
2024-03-26
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0002-9610-6648
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
In recent years, soft machines are an emerging topic. Soft machines are made of components that have large or non-linear deformations. Such components are called soft components in this thesis. Soft robots are intelligent soft machines. There are two problems associated with soft machines and soft robots. The first problem is the understanding and definition of soft machines, especially soft robots. The second problem is the development of computational methodologies along with software tools to design soft machines as well as soft robots. This thesis addresses both problems. There are two specific objectives with this thesis. Objective 1: to develop a comprehensive definition of soft robots including soft machines. Objective 2: to develop a novel computational methodology for non-linear deformation of soft machines, more specifically compliant mechanisms.
A thorough literature search was performed to render a comprehensive definition of soft robots and machines, achieving Objective 1. The validity of this definition is demonstrated by the number of citations of this paper that used this definition (after the paper was published). A topology optimization technique for compliant mechanisms was extended to achieve Objective 2. Specifically, a combined or hybrid element called super-hinge element, which includes a beam element and a flexural hinge element and was previously developed in our group, is extended to a geometric non-linear beam-hinge element. The non-linear beam-hinge element was implemented by a specific finite element approach called SPACAR, developed at Technical University of Delft as well as Twente University in The Netherlands. The validity of this methodology was demonstrated through simulation with a general-purpose finite element software, ANSYS. The two objectives are closely connected. The definition developed for achieving Objective 1 leads to the notion of soft mechanism and other soft systems such as soft. A design methodology for soft mechanisms is developed in Objective 2.
The main contributions of this thesis are two-fold. First, this thesis has provided a unified definition to soft robots including soft machines, which has also rectified several problematic definitions of soft robots in the literature. Second, this thesis has provided a computational design methodology for soft machines or compliant mechanisms.
Description
Keywords
Soft robotics, compliant mechanisms
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Program
Mechanical Engineering