Festo_BionicMotionRobot_en

Mode of operation and potential uses For a safe and more ergonomic future working world The freely moving arm on the BionicMotionRobot is covered with an outer textile skin and consists of three flexible basic segments which can be put together in a modular fashion. 3D textile knitted fabric represents new fibre technology In each of the three segments, four bellows are fitted which are held together by disk-shaped ribs with a gap of about two centi- metres. A cardan joint runs between them, housing the pneumatic actuators and making sure the ribs do not twist. The 12 bellows are made of sturdy elastomer. Each one of them is surrounded by a special 3D textile cover which is knitted from both elastic and high- strength yarns. For this unique 3D textile knitted fabric, the developers took a closer look at the muscular structure of the octopus: the muscle fibres in the tentacles are aligned differently in several layers. This interaction of radially, diagonally and longitudinally oriented fibres allows the creature to move its tentacles in a targeted manner. Based on this model, the yarns in the 3D textile knitted fabric run around the bellows structures in a special pattern. If a set of bellows is supplied with compressed air, it can extend lengthways and thereby deflect the joint structure. In the radial dir- ection, the expansion of the elastomer is limited by the fixed threads in the fabric. This means that the textile can be used to exactly deter- mine at which points the structure expands, thereby generating power, and where it is prevented from expanding. This allows very large forces to be generated and turned into movement. Guidance and control with the Festo Motion Terminal The complex guidance and control of the 12-bellow kinematics is assumed by a Festo Motion Terminal. It combines high-precision mechanics, sensor technology as well as control and measuring technology in the tightest space. With the internal control algorithms of the motion apps and the installed piezo valves, flow rates and pressures can be exactly dosed and also varied to any setting in several channels simultaneously. That enables the BionicMotionRobot to perform motion sequences that are both powerful and fast as well as soft and precise – whilst the rigidity of the kinematics is freely adjustable. Due to its modular structure and this precise control of the flexible bellows structures, the robot arm can bend in three different direc- tions simultaneously and implement the fluent movements of its natural role models. Optical shape sensor for exact routing A shared shape sensor is fitted in the cardan joints on the three segments and runs like a cable along the system’s whole longitu- dinal axis. This allows it to record the position, shape and inter- actions of the whole kinematics and illustrate them virtually. The simulated model of the sensor cable follows the real sensor in real time and thus enables positioning and routing accurate to around ten millimetres. Many potential uses and application fields The BionicMotionRobot could be used anywhere that compact, powerful and efficient systems are required. Its pneumatic con- struction is insensitive to dust and dirt, which also makes an application in polluted and contaminated or unhealthy surround- ings conceivable. Supporting assistance system for assembly The BionicMotionRobot is virtually predestined to be a helping third hand in the assembly sector. The pneumatic structures can provide relief by holding objects without heating up or consuming additional energy. A scenario in which the robot arm picks up various workpieces on its own, passes them to a person for processing and then puts them down in another place is imaginable. The worker can thus go about their work in a more ergonomic, precise, concentrated and hence more efficient manner. High user acceptance and safe handling The natural movements of the bionic robot arm create a sense of familiarity for the user, which increases acceptance for direct collaboration. In the event of a collision, the pneumatic kinematics automatically ease off and do not pose any danger to humans. This inherent flexibility of the system and the low tare weight allow it to be used without a protective cage, thus making an immediate and safe collaboration between human and machine possible. 01: A natural role model: The counter- acting muscles in an octopus’s tentacle 02: A new fibre technology: The special 3D textile knitted fabric surrounding the flexible bellows structures 03: Modular structure: A look inside the pneumatic robot arm Textile cover Connector Elastomer bellows 3D textile knitted fabric Spiral tubing for air supply Four-hole rib Optical shape sensor Cardan joint First segment Second segment Third segment 01 02 03 04 04: Virtual image: The shape sensor en- ables a simulated model of the entire kinematics 6 Festo AG & Co. KG 7 BionicMotionRobot: Pneumatic lightweight robot with natural movement patterns