An Automatic Self Shape-Shifting Soft Mobile Robot (A4SMR)

Abstract

This article proposes a mobile robot that is fully constructed and actuated by utilising a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM). Several features are shown in this design including softness, lightweight, and shape change. The robot that has been designed in this article is constructed with four identical contraction actuators: one pair for steering and moving forward and the second pair for shape-shifting. The proposed mobile robot has the ability to move forward, steer, and shapeshift to navigate through narrow paths. The kinematic for the system is provided for the area of the robot by using the shoelace formula by utilising a Pixy camera to track the coordinates of the four vertices.