Bendy robotic arm twisted into shape with help of augmented reality


Date:
March 4, 2022
Source:
Imperial College London
Summary:
Researchers have designed a malleable robotic arm that can be
guided into shape by a person using augmented reality (AR) goggles.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The flexible arm, which was designed and created at Imperial College
London, can twist and turn in all directions, making it readily
customisable for potential applications in manufacturing, spacecraft maintenance, and even injury rehabilitation.


========================================================================== Instead of being constrained by rigid limbs and firm joints, the versatile
arm is readily bendable into a wide variety of shapes. In practice,
people working alongside the robot would manually bend the arm into the
precise shape needed for each task, a level of flexibility made possible
by the slippery layers of mylar sheets inside, which slide over one
another and can lock into place.

However, configuring the robot into specific shapes without guidance
has proven to be difficult for users.

To enhance the robot's user-friendliness, researchers at Imperial's REDS (Robotic manipulation: Engineering, Design, and Science) Lab have designed
a system for users to see in AR how to configure their robot. Wearing
mixed reality smartglasses and through motion tracking cameras, users
see templates and designs in front of them superimposed onto their
real-world environment.

They then adjust the robotic arm until it matches the template, which
turns green on successful configuration so that the robot can be locked
into place.

Senior author of the paper Dr Nicolas Rojas, of Imperial's Dyson School
of Design Engineering, said: "One of the key issues in adjusting these
robots is accuracy in their new position. We humans aren't great at making
sure the new position matches the template, which is why we looked to
AR for help.

"We've shown that AR can simplify working alongside our malleable
robot. The approach gives users a range of easy-to-create robot
positions, for all sorts of applications, without needing so much
technical expertise." The researchers tested the system on five
men aged 20-26 with experience in robotics but no experience with
manipulating malleable robots specifically. The subjects were able to
adjust the robot accurately, and the results are published inRobotics & Automation Magazine.

Although the pool of participants was narrow, the researchers say their
initial findings show that AR could be a successful approach to adapting malleable robots following further testing and user training.

Bent into shape Potential applications include manufacturing, and building
and vehicle maintenance. Because the arm is lightweight, it could also be
used on spacecraft where low-weight instruments are preferred. It is also gentle enough that it could be used in injury rehabilitation, helping a
patient perform an exercise while their physiotherapist performs another.

Co-first authors PhD researchers Alex Ranne and Angus Clark, also of
the Dyson School of Design Engineering, said: "In many ways it can be
seen as a detached, bendier, third arm. It could help in many situations
where an extra limb might come in handy and help to spread the workload."
The researchers are still in the process of perfecting the robot as well
as its AR component. Next, they will look into introducing touch and
audio elements to the AR to boost its accuracy in configuring the robot.

They are also looking into strengthening the robots. Although their
flexibility and softness makes them easier to configure and maybe even
safer to work alongside humans, they are less rigid while in the locked position, which could affect precision and accuracy.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Imperial_College_London. Original
written by Caroline Brogan. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Images_and_videos_of_the_malleable_arm ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alex Ranne, Angus Benedict Clark, Nicolas Rojas. Augmented Reality-
Assisted Reconfiguration and Workspace Visualization of
Malleable Robots: Workspace Modification Through Holographic
Guidance. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 2022; 2 DOI:
10.1109/MRA.2022.3141973 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220304100948.htm

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