About this Research Topic
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in studying robots’ mobility inspired by the musculoskeletal and muscle hydrostat systems of legged and limbless animals. This promising concept relies on the fact that biological muscles, seamlessly integrated with sensorimotor controls, are ideal actuators with superior performance metrics. On the other hand, the significant progress in soft robotics has enabled the design and development of a variety of soft artificial actuators (muscles) such as pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs), shape memory alloy, dielectric elastomers, hydrogels, and magnetic-based and light-based actuation. These soft artificial muscles have shown to be promising in improving energy consumption efficiency compared to other actuators while generating a high power-to-weight ratio, a force-to-volume ratio, and a moderate to high order of force. Similarities between the biomechanics of artificial muscles and natural muscles have made these actuators a feasible option for various robotics applications including biomimetic robots, human-robot interaction, assistive and rehabilitation robotic exoskeletons, and robotic manipulators. However, most of these applications are limited to immobile platforms, and extensive use of these driving actuators for robots’ locomotion and mobility has yet to be explored.
The goal of this Research Topic is to present recent progress in the design, development, dynamic modeling, control, and optimization of bio-inspired artificial muscle-driven robots (either entirely soft or hybrid soft-and-rigid robots that integrate soft actuators coupled to a robot’s structure to generate enhanced motion and force) for locomotion in terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic environments. The scope of the Research Topic includes but is not limited to:
1) Design and prototyping of mobile robots and morphing robotic mechanisms that utilize soft artificial muscle for generating locomotion in different media (terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial)
2) Kinematics and nonlinear dynamics of muscle-driven robots and their physical interaction with their surrounding environments for locomotion
3) Bio-inspired, model-based, model-free, and morphological control techniques for the control and motion planning of muscle-driven robots
The goal of this Research Topic is to present recent progress in the design, development, dynamic modeling, control, and optimization of bio-inspired artificial muscle-driven robots (either entirely soft or hybrid soft-and-rigid robots that integrate soft actuators coupled to a robot’s structure to generate enhanced motion and force) for locomotion in terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic environments. The scope of the Research Topic includes but is not limited to:
1) Design and prototyping of mobile robots and morphing robotic mechanisms that utilize soft artificial muscle for generating locomotion in different media (terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial)
2) Kinematics and nonlinear dynamics of muscle-driven robots and their physical interaction with their surrounding environments for locomotion
3) Bio-inspired, model-based, model-free, and morphological control techniques for the control and motion planning of muscle-driven robots
Keywords: artificial muscle, muscle-driven robotic control, kinematics and dynamics of muscle-driven robots and mechanisms, embodied intelligence
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