• Bendy robotic arm twisted into shape wit

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Friday, March 04, 2022 21:30:34
    Bendy robotic arm twisted into shape with help of augmented reality


    Date:
    March 4, 2022
    Source:
    Imperial College London
    Summary:
    Researchers have designed a malleable robotic arm that can be
    guided into shape by a person using augmented reality (AR) goggles.



    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    The flexible arm, which was designed and created at Imperial College
    London, can twist and turn in all directions, making it readily
    customisable for potential applications in manufacturing, spacecraft maintenance, and even injury rehabilitation.


    ========================================================================== Instead of being constrained by rigid limbs and firm joints, the versatile
    arm is readily bendable into a wide variety of shapes. In practice,
    people working alongside the robot would manually bend the arm into the
    precise shape needed for each task, a level of flexibility made possible
    by the slippery layers of mylar sheets inside, which slide over one
    another and can lock into place.

    However, configuring the robot into specific shapes without guidance
    has proven to be difficult for users.

    To enhance the robot's user-friendliness, researchers at Imperial's REDS (Robotic manipulation: Engineering, Design, and Science) Lab have designed
    a system for users to see in AR how to configure their robot. Wearing
    mixed reality smartglasses and through motion tracking cameras, users
    see templates and designs in front of them superimposed onto their
    real-world environment.

    They then adjust the robotic arm until it matches the template, which
    turns green on successful configuration so that the robot can be locked
    into place.

    Senior author of the paper Dr Nicolas Rojas, of Imperial's Dyson School
    of Design Engineering, said: "One of the key issues in adjusting these
    robots is accuracy in their new position. We humans aren't great at making
    sure the new position matches the template, which is why we looked to
    AR for help.

    "We've shown that AR can simplify working alongside our malleable
    robot. The approach gives users a range of easy-to-create robot
    positions, for all sorts of applications, without needing so much
    technical expertise." The researchers tested the system on five
    men aged 20-26 with experience in robotics but no experience with
    manipulating malleable robots specifically. The subjects were able to
    adjust the robot accurately, and the results are published inRobotics & Automation Magazine.

    Although the pool of participants was narrow, the researchers say their
    initial findings show that AR could be a successful approach to adapting malleable robots following further testing and user training.

    Bent into shape Potential applications include manufacturing, and building
    and vehicle maintenance. Because the arm is lightweight, it could also be
    used on spacecraft where low-weight instruments are preferred. It is also gentle enough that it could be used in injury rehabilitation, helping a
    patient perform an exercise while their physiotherapist performs another.

    Co-first authors PhD researchers Alex Ranne and Angus Clark, also of
    the Dyson School of Design Engineering, said: "In many ways it can be
    seen as a detached, bendier, third arm. It could help in many situations
    where an extra limb might come in handy and help to spread the workload."
    The researchers are still in the process of perfecting the robot as well
    as its AR component. Next, they will look into introducing touch and
    audio elements to the AR to boost its accuracy in configuring the robot.

    They are also looking into strengthening the robots. Although their
    flexibility and softness makes them easier to configure and maybe even
    safer to work alongside humans, they are less rigid while in the locked position, which could affect precision and accuracy.

    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Imperial_College_London. Original
    written by Caroline Brogan. Note: Content may be edited for style
    and length.


    ========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
    * Images_and_videos_of_the_malleable_arm ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Alex Ranne, Angus Benedict Clark, Nicolas Rojas. Augmented Reality-
    Assisted Reconfiguration and Workspace Visualization of
    Malleable Robots: Workspace Modification Through Holographic
    Guidance. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 2022; 2 DOI:
    10.1109/MRA.2022.3141973 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220304100948.htm

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