An actuator and a wearable suit, where the wearable suit includes an elastic body configured to generate an assistance force to assist a muscular strength of a user, and a stopper configured to fix the elastic body in a contracted or expanded state by an initial displacement so that an initial assistance force equal to or more than a threshold is generated by the elastic body, where the threshold includes a set magnitude exceeding 0.

In a driving device of an artificial muscle module and a driving method thereof, the driving device includes a fluid tank unit, a fluid providing line, a fluid collecting line, a circulation pump unit, a temp control unit and a fluid distributing unit. The fluid providing line includes high temp and low temp water tanks. The fluid providing line connects a first side of the artificial muscle module to the fluid tank unit. The fluid collecting line connects a second side of the artificial muscle module to the fluid tank unit. The circulation pump unit is positioned at least one of the fluid providing line and the fluid collecting line. The temp control unit controls temperature of the fluid. The fluid distributing unit is positioned at the fluid collecting line, and distributes the fluid in the fluid collecting line.

Methods and apparatus to grasp an object with an unmanned aerial vehicle are described herein. An example unmanned aerial vehicle includes a gripper having a claw to grasp onto an object and an active material disposed on the claw. The example unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a material activator to: (1) apply an activation signal to the active material to soften the active material while the claw grasps the object with the active material, and (2) allow the active material to harden in a shape substantially matching a surface of the object.

A servomotor control device includes: a driven body configured to be driven by a servomotor; a connection mechanism configured to connect the servomotor and the driven body; a position command generation unit configured to generate a position command value for the driven body; a motor control unit configured to control the servomotor using the position command value; a force estimation part configured to estimate a force estimated value which is a drive force acting on the driven body at a connecting part with the connection mechanism; and a compensation amount generation part configured to generate a compensation amount for compensation the position command value generated by the position command generation part, using a product of the force estimated value and a coefficient indicating a physical constant, in which the coefficient indicating the physical constant changes by the force estimated value or a magnitude of the compensation amount thus generated.

A hybrid actuation device that includes a first plate coupled to a second plate, a shape memory alloy wire coupled to the first plate, and an artificial muscle stack positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The artificial muscle stack includes a plurality of artificial muscles stacked in a vertical arrangement. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing and a dielectric fluid disposed within the housing. The expandable fluid region of the housing is positioned apart from a perimeter of the first plate and the second plate.

A deployable structure is described including a first and a second robotic system (4, 6; 604, 606), each of which includes: a respective distal element (12;22); at least one respective shape-locking element (14;24); and a respective coupling structure (16;26) operable in a first and a second operating mode. When the coupling structure of the first robotic system operates in the first operating mode, it is elastically deformable and operable so as to move the first robotic system; when the coupling structure of the first robotic system operates in the second operating mode, it forms a guide for the movement of the second robotic system. When the coupling structure of the second robotic system operates in the first operating mode, it is elastically deformable and is operable so as to move the second robotic system; when the coupling structure of the second robotic system operates in the second operating mode, it forms a guide for the movement of the shape-locking element of the first robotic system.

A body can be configured to be selectively morphable. One or more body support members can be operatively connected to an outer surface of the body. The one or more body support members can be arranged in a pattern to define at least one morphing region. A contracting member (e.g., a shape memory polymer) can be operatively connected to the outer surface of the body. When activated, the contracting member can contract, which can cause the body to morph (e.g., bend) from a non-activated configuration into an activated configuration.

A continuum style manipulator is actuated by jammable media within an envelope of a module, which is also actuated by a tensile element, such as a cable and spooler motor. Multiple modules may be reversibly added. Two or more tensile elements may also be used. Three or more actuated tensile elements can actuate three DOFs of each module, and the terminal module, as well as the entire manipulator. Jammable media may be granular, actuated by a pressure change. Coarsely ground coffee works well. Rather than a jammable media, tensile elements may alternatively be used with other phase change media, such as magnetorheological and electrorheological media. A high friction angle of the granular media is desirable, and has been achieved with a particle size dispersion including both small and relatively larger particles. Applications include endoscopes, proctoscopes, laparoscopic instruments, manufacturing and medical manipulators. Methods of actuating include unjamming all modules, positioning the manipulator with tensile elements or otherwise, jamming the base-most module, and then repositioning remaining, not-jammed modules, followed by jamming the base-most not-jammed module, and so on, until all modules are positioned and jammed.

A shape memory material actuator has a frame, a pair of terminals connected to the frame, a movement mechanism movable relative to the frame, and a length of shape memory material extending between and connected to the pair of terminals. A portion of the length of shape memory material extending between the pair of terminals also extends over a surface of the movement mechanism such that contraction of the length of shape memory material applies force against and consequently displaces the movement mechanism. A hybrid actuator may include at least one of the shape memory material actuator, as well as a non-back drivable non-shape memory material actuator connected to the frame. The hybrid actuator may be used inside a robotic manipulator to control a joint that bends in response to movement of a floating pulley through which an artificial tendon connected to the hybrid actuator is threaded.

A body can be configured to be selectively morphable. One or more body support members can be operatively connected to an outer surface of the body. The one or more body support members can be arranged in a pattern to define at least one morphing region. A contracting member (e.g., a shape memory polymer) can be operatively connected to the outer surface of the body. When activated, the contracting member can contract, which can cause the body to morph (e.g., bend) from a non-activated configuration into an activated configuration.