Systems and methods for detecting pose and force against an object are provided. A method includes receiving a signal from a deformable sensor comprising data from a deformation region in a deformable membrane resulting from contact with the object utilizing an internal sensor disposed within an enclosure and having a field of view directed through a medium and toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane. The method also determines a pose of the object based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane. The method also determines an amount of force applied between the deformable membrane and the object is determined based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane.

Disclosed are soft origami actuators with embedded optical waveguides and underwater manipulator applications.

An insertion shaft for an electrically actuated scope includes at least two wires. Each wire has a proximal end anchored to a respective proximal anchoring point and a distal end anchored to a respective distal anchoring point. The wires are disposed around a central axis and extend along the insertion shaft. Each of the wires comprises two-way memory material configured to contract when heated to or above a first predetermined temperature and return to a predetermined original length thereof upon cooling to or below a second predetermined temperature below the first predetermined temperature. The length of each wire is larger than a length along the insertion shaft between the proximal anchoring point and the distal anchoring point to which the wire is anchored, such that each of the wires is incorporated in the insertion shaft with a predetermined slack.

An insertion shaft for an electrically actuated scope includes at least two wires. Each wire has a proximal end anchored to a respective proximal anchoring point and a distal end anchored to a respective distal anchoring point. The wires are disposed around a central axis and extend along the insertion shaft. Each of the wires comprises two-way memory material configured to contract when heated to or above a first predetermined temperature and return to a predetermined original length thereof upon cooling to or below a second predetermined temperature below the first predetermined temperature. The length of each wire is larger than a length along the insertion shaft between the proximal anchoring point and the distal anchoring point to which the wire is anchored, such that each of the wires is incorporated in the insertion shaft with a predetermined slack.

An outer skin of a metamaterial is provided that includes a tessellation of folded structures. This outer skin integrates the mechanical needs of movable structures with one process, which better replicates nature's engineering strategies. The tessellation of folded structures may be discretely assembled and may include an offset arrangement of corrugations. In certain embodiments, the metamaterial may be a portion of a continuum robotic structure.

In a wire-driven continuum robot, in accordance with a profile of a first bending angle regarding a bending angle of a follow-up bending section that corresponds to a forward movement of a continuum robot, and is set in accordance with an input first target bending angle of a distal bending section, a bending angle of the following-up bending section is controlled to reach the first target bending angle. Before a movement amount of a forward movement reaches a first movement amount, the control is performed as follows. More specifically, a profile of a second bending angle that is different from the profile of the first bending angle is set, and by a further forward movement of the continuum robot, a bending angle of the following-up bending section reaches the second target bending angle in accordance with the profile of the second bending angle.

In a wire-driven continuum robot, in accordance with a profile of a first bending angle regarding a bending angle of a follow-up bending section that corresponds to a forward movement of a continuum robot, and is set in accordance with an input first target bending angle of a distal bending section, a bending angle of the following-up bending section is controlled to reach the first target bending angle. Before a movement amount of a forward movement reaches a first movement amount, the control is performed as follows. More specifically, a profile of a second bending angle that is different from the profile of the first bending angle is set, and by a further forward movement of the continuum robot, a bending angle of the following-up bending section reaches the second target bending angle in accordance with the profile of the second bending angle.

Systems and methods for detecting pose and force against an object are provided. A method includes receiving a signal from a deformable sensor comprising data from a deformation region in a deformable membrane resulting from contact with the object utilizing an internal sensor disposed within an enclosure and having a field of view directed through a medium and toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane. The method also determines a pose of the object based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane. The method also determines an amount of force applied between the deformable membrane and the object is determined based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane.

A control apparatus for a continuum robot including a curved portion that is curved by driving a wire with a driving mechanism includes an image DB/torsional-amount acquisition unit that obtains the torsional amount of the continuum robot and a kinematic operation unit that sets the driving displacement amount of the wire driven by the driving mechanism on the basis of the torsional amount obtained by the image DB/torsional-amount acquisition unit.

An electric controlled bi-directional bending actuator with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity is disclosed. The electric controlled bi-directional bending actuator with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity comprises three kinds of functional layers that are electro-deformable layers, electro-variable stiffness layers and flexible electrodes. From up to bottom, they are the first flexible electrodes layer, the first electro-deformable layer, the second flexible electrodes layer, the electro-variable stiffness layer, the third flexible electrode layer, the second electro-deformable layer and the fourth flexible electrode layer. The adjacent layers are glued together. The electro-deformable layer is made from dielectric elastomers. The electro-variable stiffness layer is made from electro-rheological materials, including electro-rheological fluids, electro-rheological gels or electro-rheological elastomers. Compared with the present pneumatic actuators with deformability and stiffness tunable capacity, the invention has such merits as simple structure, precise regulation, quick response, convenient control and insensitive to environmental.