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US 12,441,447 B2Granted
Smart soft actuation unit for underwater applications
AssigneeVersitech Limited
InventorsZheng Wang, Zhong Shen, Yafei Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are soft origami actuators with embedded optical waveguides and underwater manipulator applications.
Claims20
A device for underwater applications, comprising:
- a photodiode tube;
- an LED tube;
- a soft origami fluidic actuator that is extendable and compressible along a longitudinal axis,
- wherein the soft origami fluidic actuator is axially disposed between the photodiode tube at a first axial end of the soft origami fluidic actuator and the LED tube disposed at a second axial end of the soft origami fluidic actuator that is disposed opposite the first axial end;
- a plurality of optical waveguides each arranged external to the soft origami fluidic actuator and configured to follow motion of the soft origami fluidic actuator along the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the plurality of optical waveguides are configured, and arranged relative to the soft origami fluidic actuator, to buckle into geometric concavities of the soft origami fluidic actuator in response to compression of the soft origami fluidic actuator along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a plurality of sensors configured to obtain an optical signal from the plurality of optical waveguides.
5 more elements
An underwater robot, comprising:
- a photodiode tube;
- an LED tube;
- a soft origami fluidic actuator that is extendable and compressible along a longitudinal axis,
- wherein the soft origami fluidic actuator is axially disposed between the photodiode tube at a first axial end of the soft origami fluidic actuator and the LED tube disposed at a second axial end of the soft origami fluidic actuator that is disposed opposite the first axial end;
- a plurality of optical waveguides each arranged external to the soft origami fluidic actuator and configured to follow motion of the soft origami fluidic actuator along the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the plurality of optical waveguides are configured, and arranged relative to the soft origami fluidic actuator, to buckle into geometric concavities of the soft origami fluidic actuator in response to compression of the soft origami fluidic actuator along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a plurality of sensors configured to obtain an optical signal from the plurality of optical waveguides.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.