Soft robotic crawlers have limited payload capacity and crawling speed.This study proposes a high-performance inchworm-like modular robotic crawler based on fluidic prestressed composite(FPC)actuators.The FPC actuator...Soft robotic crawlers have limited payload capacity and crawling speed.This study proposes a high-performance inchworm-like modular robotic crawler based on fluidic prestressed composite(FPC)actuators.The FPC actuator is precurved and a pneumatic source is used to flatten it,requiring no energy cost to maintain the equilibrium curved shape.Pressurizing and depressurizing the actuators generate alternating stretching and bending motions of the actuators,achieving the crawling motion of the robotic crawler.Multi-modal locomotion(crawling,turning,and pipe climbing)is achieved by modular reconfiguration and gait design.An analytical kinematic model is proposed to characterize the quasi-static curvature and step size of a single-module crawler.Multiple configurations of robotic crawlers are fabricated to demonstrate the crawling ability of the proposed design.A set of systematic experiments are set up and conducted to understand how crawler responses vary as a function of FPC prestrains,input pressures,and actuation frequencies.As per the experiments,the maximum carrying load ratio(carrying load divided by robot weight)is found to be 22.32,and the highest crawling velocity is 3.02 body length(BL)per second(392 mm/s).Multi-modal capabilities are demonstrated by reconfiguring three soft crawlers,including a matrix crawler robot crawling in amphibious environments,and an inching crawler turning at an angular velocity of 2/s,as well as earthworm-like crawling robots climbing a 20 inclination slope and pipe.展开更多
Surface electromyography(sEMG)is widely used in monitoring human health.Nonetheless,it is challenging to capture high-fidelity sEMG recordings in regions with intricate curved surfaces such as the larynx,because regul...Surface electromyography(sEMG)is widely used in monitoring human health.Nonetheless,it is challenging to capture high-fidelity sEMG recordings in regions with intricate curved surfaces such as the larynx,because regular sEMG electrodes have stiff structures.In this study,we developed a stretchable,high-density sEMG electrode array via layerby-layer printing and lamination.The electrode offered a series of excellent human‒machine interface features,including conformal adhesion to the skin,high electron-to-ion conductivity(and thus lower contact impedance),prolonged environmental adaptability to resist water evaporation,and epidermal biocompatibility.This made the electrode more appropriate than commercial electrodes for long-term wearable,high-fidelity sEMG recording devices at complicated skin interfaces.Systematic in vivo studies were used to investigate its ability to classify swallowing activities,which was accomplished with high accuracy by decoding the sEMG signals from the chin via integration with an ear-mounted wearable system and machine learning algorithms.The results demonstrated the clinical feasibility of the system for noninvasive and comfortable recognition of swallowing motions for comfortable dysphagia rehabilitation.展开更多
A near-equiatomic NiTi shape memory alloy was fabricated by rapid solidification process through vacuum arc melting followed by vacuum suction casting in water-cooled thick copper mold. The rapidly solidified (or suc...A near-equiatomic NiTi shape memory alloy was fabricated by rapid solidification process through vacuum arc melting followed by vacuum suction casting in water-cooled thick copper mold. The rapidly solidified (or suction cast) NiTi alloy shows much finer grains and homogenous microstructure, in particular a uniform distribution of various fine precipitates, compared to the conventional cast one. The resultant alloy also exhibits the homogenous Ni distribution in the matrix of the alloy, allowing the martensitic transformation to take place throughout the NiTi alloy matrix simultaneously and resulting in sharper transformation peaks compared to the conventional cast alloy. Moreover, the suction cast NiTJ alloy shows a significant improvement over the conventional cast one, in terms of possessing higher deformation recovery rates and displaying the increased compressive strength and damping capacity by 4% and 20%, respectively.展开更多
In this paper,we present a disposable,colorimetric,user-friendly and mass-customizable dermal patch for chronological collection and discrete real-time in situ measurement of sweat secretion over a small area of skin....In this paper,we present a disposable,colorimetric,user-friendly and mass-customizable dermal patch for chronological collection and discrete real-time in situ measurement of sweat secretion over a small area of skin.The patch consists of a laminated filter paper patterned into radially arranged channels/fingers with water-activated dyes at their tips.As channels are filled during perspiration,their tips change color once fully saturated,providing easily identifiable levels of water loss which in turn can be mapped to personal dehydration levels.The patch can be manufactured at low cost in a variety of sizes to allow hydration monitoring for individuals participating in activities under different conditions(intensity,temperature,humidity,etc.).Furthermore,we describe an analytical model that enables mass customization of such a flexible wearable system accommodating a broad range of sweat rates and volumes to generate patch designs that are personalized to an individual’s sweat rate,desired time of usage,and the temporal resolution of the required feedback.As a proof-of-concept demonstration,we characterized laser-fabricated patches that cover(7 cm×5 cm)area of skin having various wicking materials,thicknesses(180–540μm),and pore sizes(3–11μm).Tests were conducted at various flow rates simulating different sweating intensities in the range of 1.5–15 mg/cm^(2)/min.Experimental results for the case of a half-marathon runner targeting 90 min of usage and sweating at a rate of 1.5 mg/cm2/min indicated measurement accuracy of 98.3%when the patch is completely filled.展开更多
Chronic wounds affect over 6.5 million Americans and are notoriously difficult to treat.Suboptimal oxygenation of the wound bed is one of the most critical and treatable wound management factors,but existing oxygenati...Chronic wounds affect over 6.5 million Americans and are notoriously difficult to treat.Suboptimal oxygenation of the wound bed is one of the most critical and treatable wound management factors,but existing oxygenation systems do not enable concurrent measurement and delivery of oxygen in a convenient wearable platform.Thus,we developed a low-cost alternative for continuous O 2 delivery and sensing comprising of an inexpensive,paper-based,biocompatible,flexible platform for locally generating and measuring oxygen in a wound region.The platform takes advantage of recent developments in the fabrication of flexible microsystems including the incorporation of paper as a substrate and the use of a scalable manufacturing technology,inkjet printing.Here,we demonstrate the functionality of the oxygenation patch,capable of increasing oxygen concentration in a gel substrate by 13%(5ppm)in 1h.The platform is able to sense oxygen in a range of 5–26 ppm.In vivo studies demonstrate the biocompatibility of the patch and its ability to double or triple the oxygen level in the wound bed to clinically relevant levels.展开更多
Deep brain stimulation(DBS)has been used as a safe and effective neuromodulation technique for treatment of various diseases.A large number of patients suffering from movement disorders such as dyskinesia may benefit ...Deep brain stimulation(DBS)has been used as a safe and effective neuromodulation technique for treatment of various diseases.A large number of patients suffering from movement disorders such as dyskinesia may benefit from DBS.Cerebral palsy(CP)is a group of permanent disorders mainly involving motor impairment,and medical interventions are usually unsatisfactory or temporarily active,especially for dyskinetic CP.DBS may be another approach to the treatment of CP.In this review we discuss the targets for DBS and the mechanisms of action for the treatment of CP,and focus on presurgical assessment,efficacy for dystonia and other symptoms,safety,and risks.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.62203174the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project under Grant No.202201010179.
文摘Soft robotic crawlers have limited payload capacity and crawling speed.This study proposes a high-performance inchworm-like modular robotic crawler based on fluidic prestressed composite(FPC)actuators.The FPC actuator is precurved and a pneumatic source is used to flatten it,requiring no energy cost to maintain the equilibrium curved shape.Pressurizing and depressurizing the actuators generate alternating stretching and bending motions of the actuators,achieving the crawling motion of the robotic crawler.Multi-modal locomotion(crawling,turning,and pipe climbing)is achieved by modular reconfiguration and gait design.An analytical kinematic model is proposed to characterize the quasi-static curvature and step size of a single-module crawler.Multiple configurations of robotic crawlers are fabricated to demonstrate the crawling ability of the proposed design.A set of systematic experiments are set up and conducted to understand how crawler responses vary as a function of FPC prestrains,input pressures,and actuation frequencies.As per the experiments,the maximum carrying load ratio(carrying load divided by robot weight)is found to be 22.32,and the highest crawling velocity is 3.02 body length(BL)per second(392 mm/s).Multi-modal capabilities are demonstrated by reconfiguring three soft crawlers,including a matrix crawler robot crawling in amphibious environments,and an inching crawler turning at an angular velocity of 2/s,as well as earthworm-like crawling robots climbing a 20 inclination slope and pipe.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers 42177440 and 51903079)National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant no.52075177)+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(grant no.2021YFB3301400)Research Foundation of Guangdong Province(grant no.2019A050505001).
文摘Surface electromyography(sEMG)is widely used in monitoring human health.Nonetheless,it is challenging to capture high-fidelity sEMG recordings in regions with intricate curved surfaces such as the larynx,because regular sEMG electrodes have stiff structures.In this study,we developed a stretchable,high-density sEMG electrode array via layerby-layer printing and lamination.The electrode offered a series of excellent human‒machine interface features,including conformal adhesion to the skin,high electron-to-ion conductivity(and thus lower contact impedance),prolonged environmental adaptability to resist water evaporation,and epidermal biocompatibility.This made the electrode more appropriate than commercial electrodes for long-term wearable,high-fidelity sEMG recording devices at complicated skin interfaces.Systematic in vivo studies were used to investigate its ability to classify swallowing activities,which was accomplished with high accuracy by decoding the sEMG signals from the chin via integration with an ear-mounted wearable system and machine learning algorithms.The results demonstrated the clinical feasibility of the system for noninvasive and comfortable recognition of swallowing motions for comfortable dysphagia rehabilitation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant Nos. 50871039 and 51205135Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation under grant Nos. 10151064101000017 and S2011040001436the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (SCUT2011ZM0001)
文摘A near-equiatomic NiTi shape memory alloy was fabricated by rapid solidification process through vacuum arc melting followed by vacuum suction casting in water-cooled thick copper mold. The rapidly solidified (or suction cast) NiTi alloy shows much finer grains and homogenous microstructure, in particular a uniform distribution of various fine precipitates, compared to the conventional cast one. The resultant alloy also exhibits the homogenous Ni distribution in the matrix of the alloy, allowing the martensitic transformation to take place throughout the NiTi alloy matrix simultaneously and resulting in sharper transformation peaks compared to the conventional cast alloy. Moreover, the suction cast NiTJ alloy shows a significant improvement over the conventional cast one, in terms of possessing higher deformation recovery rates and displaying the increased compressive strength and damping capacity by 4% and 20%, respectively.
基金This research was supported in part by NextFlex(P.C.1.0)under AFRL Cooperative Agreement No.FA8650-15-2-5401.
文摘In this paper,we present a disposable,colorimetric,user-friendly and mass-customizable dermal patch for chronological collection and discrete real-time in situ measurement of sweat secretion over a small area of skin.The patch consists of a laminated filter paper patterned into radially arranged channels/fingers with water-activated dyes at their tips.As channels are filled during perspiration,their tips change color once fully saturated,providing easily identifiable levels of water loss which in turn can be mapped to personal dehydration levels.The patch can be manufactured at low cost in a variety of sizes to allow hydration monitoring for individuals participating in activities under different conditions(intensity,temperature,humidity,etc.).Furthermore,we describe an analytical model that enables mass customization of such a flexible wearable system accommodating a broad range of sweat rates and volumes to generate patch designs that are personalized to an individual’s sweat rate,desired time of usage,and the temporal resolution of the required feedback.As a proof-of-concept demonstration,we characterized laser-fabricated patches that cover(7 cm×5 cm)area of skin having various wicking materials,thicknesses(180–540μm),and pore sizes(3–11μm).Tests were conducted at various flow rates simulating different sweating intensities in the range of 1.5–15 mg/cm^(2)/min.Experimental results for the case of a half-marathon runner targeting 90 min of usage and sweating at a rate of 1.5 mg/cm2/min indicated measurement accuracy of 98.3%when the patch is completely filled.
基金The authors thank the staff of the Birck Nanotechnology Center for their support.Funding for this work was provided by NextFlex under AFRL Cooperative Agreement No.FA8650-15-2-5401.
文摘Chronic wounds affect over 6.5 million Americans and are notoriously difficult to treat.Suboptimal oxygenation of the wound bed is one of the most critical and treatable wound management factors,but existing oxygenation systems do not enable concurrent measurement and delivery of oxygen in a convenient wearable platform.Thus,we developed a low-cost alternative for continuous O 2 delivery and sensing comprising of an inexpensive,paper-based,biocompatible,flexible platform for locally generating and measuring oxygen in a wound region.The platform takes advantage of recent developments in the fabrication of flexible microsystems including the incorporation of paper as a substrate and the use of a scalable manufacturing technology,inkjet printing.Here,we demonstrate the functionality of the oxygenation patch,capable of increasing oxygen concentration in a gel substrate by 13%(5ppm)in 1h.The platform is able to sense oxygen in a range of 5–26 ppm.In vivo studies demonstrate the biocompatibility of the patch and its ability to double or triple the oxygen level in the wound bed to clinically relevant levels.
文摘Deep brain stimulation(DBS)has been used as a safe and effective neuromodulation technique for treatment of various diseases.A large number of patients suffering from movement disorders such as dyskinesia may benefit from DBS.Cerebral palsy(CP)is a group of permanent disorders mainly involving motor impairment,and medical interventions are usually unsatisfactory or temporarily active,especially for dyskinetic CP.DBS may be another approach to the treatment of CP.In this review we discuss the targets for DBS and the mechanisms of action for the treatment of CP,and focus on presurgical assessment,efficacy for dystonia and other symptoms,safety,and risks.