Soft Robotics Novel Sensor Mount Design (IRIS Lab)

I worked under the guidance of Notre Dame Professor Margaret Coad in the Innovative Robotics and Interactive Systems (IRIS) lab to expand the capabilities of our novel everting toroidal soft robot, which utilizes a new morphology based upon existing vine robot tip mounts. Unlike vine robots, the everting toroidal robot does not require a tethered base, and recycles its pressurized membrane as a method of locomotion.

Specifically, I worked to integrate devices dynamically mounting sensors to the tips of vine robots to adding a camera (and so visual feedback) to the robot as proof-of-concept for tasks such as pipe exploration and endoscopy.

Throughout my work with the IRIS Lab, I have developed various mount designs in SOLIDWORKS CAD, prototyped, and tested them on both vine and everting toroidal robots. I have additionally fitted mounts under development by research peers at UCSD to our robot as well as augmented the core of the everting toroidal robot. The mounts I developed began as static 3D-printed geometries coated with low-friction materials such as Teflon tape, moved into incorporating PFTE spheres and compliant foam, and settled on exploring the use of dynamic paired elements using magnets to align opposed rollers on twelve sets of bearings. My research on the topic failed to create a definite solution, though it highlighted many viable routes for further development.