Multimodal Ocean Soft Robot (MOSoRo) Platform
Abstract
Locomotion of robots within the ocean has largely focused on studies of swimming and other fluid-based forms of propulsion. However, there are many applications and opportunities for mul- timodal soft robots that are able to transition between interacting with the ocean surface, the water column, the seafloor, and burying below the seafloor surface. Such multimodal behaviors in the ocean require effective interactions between the body of a robot, water, and the complex granular, sediment, and biomass substrate that is the seafloor. To develop robots that are capable of effec- tive multimodal locomotion in the ocean, we seek to develop mechanical models that describe the forces and torques of robot appendages experience when interacting with interfaces, including floating on the surface, and penetrating, dragging, and oscillating, within the substrate. This proposal describes a Multimodal Ocean Soft Robot testing platform (referred to as the MOSoRo). This platform consists of a high-precision robot arm for the controlled movement of soft robot components that will interact with water and a seafloor simulant housed in a ocean simulation tank. A submersible motion capture system will be used for tracking the pose and deformation of soft robotic components attached to the robot arm that may deform in complex ways during interactions. Lastly, we will instrument the robot arm with a variety of force, deformation, and pressure sensors for mechanical characterization of the soft-robot interactions with the fluid air interface, the immersed fluid, and the seafloor. The MOSoRo platform will initially be directed to address three fundamental questions of interaction mechanics: 1) how can soft-bodied worm-like robots effectively bury and locomote within the seafloor?, 2) how can soft bodied robots transition from swimming in water to burying in the seafloor?, and 3) how can soft robots anchored in the ocean surface extract energy from deformation caused by wave motions? These initial questions will support two ongoing ONR- funded DoD projects devoted to robot development for Naval applications, and build off knowledge gained during two recently completed ONR-funded projects. Looking beyond these questions, we seek to develop general models to understand and predict the forces soft robots experience when anchored to or moving within the seafloor. These models will enable rapid development of future robots for Naval applications. Beyond robotics applications, the deformation mechanics of the seafloor are of critical interest to biologists who study worms, fish, and other multimodal organisms that bury and locomote in the ocean. Through established collaborations with Marine biologists at UC San Diego, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, we will perform experiments that improve understanding of multimodal animals in the ocean.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312169
Entities
People
- Michael T Tolley
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego