Electronics-free pneumatic circuits for controlling a robot
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsDylan Drotman, Saurabh Jadhav, Michael T. Tolley, David Sharp, Christian Chan
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Abstract
A pneumatic circuit for controlling the activation of a robot with inflatable chambers includes at least one ring oscillator formed from a plurality of valves connected in series to selectively admit fluid pressure to inflate and deflate the chambers. Sequential actuation of the valves induces sequential bending and rotation of combinations of the chambers to effect motion. A switching valve changes the actuation sequence of the oscillator valves to change the direction of motion.
Claims37
A pneumatic circuit for controlling activation of a robot, the circuit comprising:
- inflatable chambers configured for inflation using fluid from a fluid source;
- a plurality of fluid channels, each channel configured to communicate fluid from the fluid source to the inflatable chambers;
- at least one ring oscillator comprising a plurality of valves connected in series, the at least one ring oscillator in fluid communication with the inflatable chambers, each valve configured to control flow of fluid between the fluid source and at least one inflatable chamber to switch a state of the at least one inflatable chamber between inflated and deflated, wherein actuation of the plurality of valves in a first order induces inflation of the inflatable chambers in a first sequence;
- and
- at least one control valve in fluid communication with the at least one ring oscillator, the at least one control valve configured to modify an order of actuation of the plurality of valves to at least one second sequence different from the first sequence.
A pneumatic circuit for controlling activation of a soft-limbed robot comprising a plurality of inflatable chambers, each chamber configured for inflation using an inflation fluid, the circuit comprising:
- a fluid source;
- a plurality of fluid channels, each channel configured to communicate fluid from the fluid source to the plurality of chambers;
- at least one ring oscillator comprising a plurality of valves connected in series, each valve configured to control flow of fluid into at least one inflatable chamber to switch a state of the at least inflatable chamber between inflated and deflated, wherein sequential actuation of the plurality of valves induces sequential inflation or deflation of the plurality of chambers;
- and
- at least one control valve in fluid communication with the at least one ring oscillator, the at least one control valve configured to modify an order of actuation of the plurality of valves to at least one second sequence different from the first sequence.
A method for controlling motion of a robot having a plurality of inflatable chambers, each chamber configured for inflation using fluid from a fluid source, the method comprising:
- providing at least one ring oscillator comprising a plurality of valves connected in series, each valve configured to control flow of fluid from a fluid source into at least one chamber to switch a state of the at least one chamber between inflated and deflated, wherein sequential actuation of the plurality of valves induces motion in a first direction;
- and
- switching an order of sequential actuation of the plurality of valves to change motion to a second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.