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Actuators
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Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application
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Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 9015

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Amir Jafari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Discovery Park, 3940 N Elm St, Denton, TX 76207, USA
Interests: physical human–robot interaction; compliant/variable compliance mechanisms; rehabilitation robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Trevor Exley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Discovery Park, 3940 N Elm St, Denton, TX 76207, USA
Interests: thermo-active soft actuation; variable impedance actuators; soft robotics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Despite industrial applications where repeatability, high load capacity, and fast motions are essential features, biomedical applications demand a gentle touch, safe interactions, dexterity, and lightness. Soft robotics is an emerging field of research that has gained significant interest among biomedical researchers due to its unique capabilities and performances. This Special Issue on “Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application” seeks original research articles with novel approaches in soft material designs and fabrications, soft actuation technologies, soft sensors, and control of soft robotic platforms and their applications in the biomedical fields, ranging from macroscale rehabilitations to cell microscale manipulations.    

Dr. Amir Jafari
Dr. Trevor Exley
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soft material
  • designs and fabrications of soft robots
  • soft actuation
  • soft sensing
  • control of soft robotic platforms

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3518 KiB  
Article
Programmable Hydrogel-Based Soft Robotics via Encoded Building Block Design
by Sirawit Pruksawan, Zhan Au Chua, Yi Ting Chong and FuKe Wang
Actuators 2024, 13(10), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13100383 - 1 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 886
Abstract
Hydrogels have revolutionized the field of soft robotics with their ability to provide dynamic and programmable responses to different stimuli, enabling the fabrication of highly adaptable and flexible robots. This continual development holds significant promise for applications in biomedical devices, active implants, and [...] Read more.
Hydrogels have revolutionized the field of soft robotics with their ability to provide dynamic and programmable responses to different stimuli, enabling the fabrication of highly adaptable and flexible robots. This continual development holds significant promise for applications in biomedical devices, active implants, and sensors due to the biocompatibility of hydrogels. Actuation in hydrogel-based soft robotics relies on variations in material properties, structural design, or a combination of both to generate desired movements and behaviors. While such traditional approaches enable hydrogel actuation, they often rely on complex material design, bringing challenges to hydrogel fabrication and hindering practical use. Therefore, this work seeks to present a simplified and versatile approach for fabricating programmable single-component hydrogel-based soft robotics using an encoded building block design concept and 3D printing. A series of structural building blocks have been designed to achieve various actuation characteristics, including the direction, degree, and kinetics of actuation. By assembling these building blocks into various configurations, a broader range of actuation responses can be encoded, allowing for the fabrication of versatile, programmable soft robotics using a single uniform material through vat photopolymerization 3D printing. This approach enables adaptation to a wide range of applications, providing highly customizable encoding designs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application)
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13 pages, 4426 KiB  
Article
A Magnetic-Controlled Flexible Continuum Robot with Different Deformation Modes for Vascular Interventional Navigation Surgery
by Zili Wang, Ding Weng, Zhaoxin Li, Lei Chen, Yuan Ma and Jiadao Wang
Actuators 2023, 12(6), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12060247 - 14 Jun 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2816
Abstract
A magnetic-controlled flexible continuum robot (MFCR) is a kind of continuum robot with small-size and flexibility that deforms under controlled magnetic fields, which makes MFCRs easy to fit in special sizes and designs and provides them with the ability to feasibly arrive at [...] Read more.
A magnetic-controlled flexible continuum robot (MFCR) is a kind of continuum robot with small-size and flexibility that deforms under controlled magnetic fields, which makes MFCRs easy to fit in special sizes and designs and provides them with the ability to feasibly arrive at the desired area through certain blood vessel bifurcation. The magnetic drive method is suitable for the miniaturization of soft continuum robots but shows limitations in realizing high flexibility. To achieve miniaturization and high flexibility, in this work, the deformation schemes of a magnetic-controlled flexible continuum robot (MFCR) are proposed, simulated, and experimentally validated. The proposed MFCR includes a soft steering part made of a silicone elastomer with uniformly dispersed NdFeB powder which has a specific magnetization direction. With the actuation of different magnetic fields, the proposed MFCR shows three different deformation modes (C-shape, J-shape, and S-shape) and high flexibility. By using the potential energy model combined with magnetic and elastic potential energy, the quasi-static deformation model of MFCR is built. Through various simulations and experiments, we analyzed and predicted different deformation modes. The results from the experiments demonstrate the accuracy of the deformation model. The results indicate that the MFCR has good control precision and deformation performance with potential applications in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application)
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Review

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14 pages, 1929 KiB  
Review
A Review of Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies for Upper-Body Exoskeletal Devices
by Emilly Hays, Jack Slayton, Gary Tejeda-Godinez, Emily Carney, Kobe Cruz, Trevor Exley and Amir Jafari
Actuators 2023, 12(4), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12040178 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4192
Abstract
This journal review article focuses on the use of assistive and rehabilitative exoskeletons as a new opportunity for individuals with diminished mobility. The article aims to identify gaps and inconsistencies in state-of-the-art assistive and rehabilitative devices, with the overall goal of promoting innovation [...] Read more.
This journal review article focuses on the use of assistive and rehabilitative exoskeletons as a new opportunity for individuals with diminished mobility. The article aims to identify gaps and inconsistencies in state-of-the-art assistive and rehabilitative devices, with the overall goal of promoting innovation and improvement in this field. The literature review explores the mechanisms, actuators, and sensing procedures employed in each application, specifically focusing on passive shoulder supports and active soft robotic actuator gloves. Passive shoulder supports are an excellent option for bearing heavy loads, as they enable the load to be evenly distributed across the shoulder joint. This, in turn, reduces stress and strain around the surrounding muscles. On the other hand, the active soft robotic actuator glove is well suited for providing support and assistance by mimicking the characteristics of human muscle. This review reveals that these devices improve the overall standard of living for those who experience various impairments but also encounter limitations requiring redress. Overall, this article serves as a valuable resource for individuals working in the field of assistive and rehabilitative exoskeletons, providing insight into the state of the art and potential areas for improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soft Robotics in Biomedical Application)
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