Flexible and Foldable: Workspace Analysis and Object Manipulation Using a Soft, Interconnected, Origami-Inspired Actuator Array
Bailey Dacre, Rodrigo Moreno, Serhat Demirtas, Ziqiao Wang, Yuhao Jiang, Jamie Paik, Kasper Stoy, Andres Faiña
AI summary
Problem
Traditional distributed manipulator systems require high actuator density and struggle to manipulate objects smaller than their actuator spacing, limiting adaptability and increasing cost.
Approach
The authors connect 3-DoF origami-inspired robotic tiles with a compliant rubber layer to form a continuous manipulation surface, analyzing its coupled workspace and demonstrating coordinated motion primitives for object translation.
Key results
- Designed a continuous manipulation surface using interconnected 3-DoF origami tiles
- Characterized the coupled workspace and derived feasible sinusoidal motion primitives
- Demonstrated reliable translation of diverse objects, including those smaller than inter-actuator spacing
- Increased manipulable area by ~1.84× without adding actuators
Why it matters
This low-cost, low-complexity architecture expands the practical applications of distributed manipulation for heterogeneous and small-scale objects in industrial and research settings.
Abstract
Object manipulation is a fundamental challenge in robotics, where systems must balance trade-offs among manipulation capabilities, system complexity, and throughput. Distributed manipulator systems (DMS) use the coordinated motion of actuator arrays to perform complex object manipulation tasks, seeing widespread exploration within the literature and in industry. However, existing DMS designs typically rely on high actuator densities and impose constraints on object-to-actuator scale ratios, limiting their adaptability. We present a novel DMS design utilizing an array of 3-DoF, origami-inspired robotic tiles interconnected by a compliant surface layer. Unlike conventional DMS, our approach enables manipulation not only at the actuator end effectors but also across a flexible surface connecting all actuators; creating a continuous, controllable manipulation surface. We analyse the combined workspace of such a system, derive simple motion primitives, and demonstrate its capabilities to translate simple geometric objects across an array of tiles. By leveraging the inter-tile connective material, our approach significantly reduces actuator density, increasing the area over which an object can be manipulated by approximately ×1.84 without an increase in the number of actuators. This design offers a lower cost and complexity alternative to traditional high-density arrays and introduces new opportunities for manipulation strategies that leverage the flexibility of the interconnected surface.