summary and analysis Draft 1

According to the article “Soft robotic arm...” (Matheson, 2020), researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a system comprising of sensors with high compliance and an information processing model that allows a robot equipped with these to know it’s position in 3D space efficiently. The sensors are wrapped all around the robot’s body like skin. Traditionally, robots get their configuration info from a complex system of cameras, which are unfeasible for actual soft robot applications. Ryan Truby, one of the researchers, said that “We’re sensorizing soft robots to get feedback for control from sensors, not vision systems, using a very easy, rapid method for fabrication.”. He also said that the entire system is still inadequate, but it is a crucial foothold from which advances in soft robotic control can be made. Moving ahead, researchers are looking at designing better sensors and learning models to cut down on training for new robots.

Although the soft robotic arm is a better alternative to the traditional robots, its development has yet to be perfected. Researchers are seeking ways to improve the arm's effectiveness with regard to its flexibility.

According to Truby, the materials used for the sensors are "sheets of conductive materials used for electromagnetic interference shielding" that is found anywhere. Although these materials are piezoresistive and cuts were made due to the inspiration of kirigami, the material did not stretch as much. Therefore, using such material is not ideal as it limits the soft robots' flexibility.

Through the usage of carbon nanotubes and flexible materials such as conductive hydrogels, the soft robot will be more flexible than the sheets of conductive materials used. The carbon nanotube can be integrated into the flexible material to withstand deformability. The material is able to stretch twice its length, capable of bending more than 90 degrees and twisting.

However, Ryan's design is a simple design that does only requires common materials to craft and does not require multiple processes in order for it to be ready to use. 

 Retrieved From 

Matheson, R. (2020, February 16). Soft robotic arm uses flexible sensors to understand its position. Control Engineering. https://www.controleng.com/articles/soft-robotic-arm-uses-flexible-sensors-to-understand-its-position/nd its position

(2020, MAY) Carbon nanotube-integrated conductive hydrogels as multifunctional robotic skin

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622320301329?via%3Dihub

 (2020, SEPTEMBER 16 ) Rubbery electronics and sensors from intrinsically stretchable elastomeric composites of semiconductors and conductors

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/9/e1701114