I-Corps Teams: Dynamically Tunable Reversible Dry Adhesives for Soft Grasping

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project, based on robotic gripping systems, is multifaceted and has societal, economic, and educational potential. From a societal and economic standpoint, it contributes to addressing the national need for increased automation in multiple application domains, including advanced manufacturing, agriculture such as fruit picking, as well as rehabilitation and elderly care of an aging population in the US. The soft grasping approach proposed to be commercialized here is based on a recently patented dynamically tunable reversible dry adhesion technology, which can help resolve pain points in electronics assembly and advanced manufacturing processes such as irregular-shaped parts manipulation on automotive assembly lines. The commercialization potential is estimated to be on the order of one billion dollars. From an educational standpoint, this project not only helps train the senior personnel on the project about entrepreneurship, but also helps instill entrepreneurship principles and practices among students and researchers. This I-Corps project aims to identify the technical challenges faced by the industry on robotic gripping systems, which could help formulate ensuing application-driven fundamental problems pertaining to soft grasping. Soft grasping of objects with various shapes and stiffness has been a longstanding challenge in the robotics field. The approach proposed here is a spinoff of an ongoing NSF project, where novel smart materials and adhesion mechanics are integrated to realize a "core-shell" composite structure featured with dynamically tunable reversible dry adhesion. By modulating the stiffness of the "core" made of smart materials, the manner in which force is distributed to the interface between the composite and the adhered object is altered, and as a result, the effective adhesion strength of the adhered interface is changed. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.