Soft inflatable actuators for sorting applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325163-B2
Application number	US-201916579399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2019
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for sorting utilizing an inflatable actuator are disclosed. A sorting system utilizing an inflatable actuator includes an inflatable actuator. The inflatable actuator is disposed in a cantilever beam orientation atop a support surface. The system includes an inflation component coupled to the inflatable actuator to provide an inflation force. Additionally, the system includes a control component configured to send an activation signal to the inflation component responsive to a detection of an object to be sorted. Responsive to the activation signal, the inflation component inflates the inflatable actuator to cause the inflatable actuator to make contact with the object to be sorted. The contact of the inflatable actuator with the object to be sorted causes the object to change from a first trajectory to a second trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sorting system utilizing soft-rigid hybrid actuator, the system comprising:
the soft-rigid hybrid actuator comprising a compliant portion and a rigid portion, the soft-rigid hybrid actuator configured with an inactive state and an active state, the soft-rigid hybrid actuator disposed in a cantilever beam orientation atop a support surface;
an inflation component coupled to the soft-rigid hybrid actuator to provide an inflation force; and
a control component configured to send an inactive state activation signal to the inflation component responsive to a detection of an object to be sorted,
wherein the rigid portion comprises a rigid paddle and the compliant portion comprises an inflatable compliant material,
wherein the rigid paddle is coupled to a first end of the inflatable compliant material,
wherein a second end of the inflatable compliant material is coupled to the support surface,
wherein the rigid paddle is configured to rotate with respect to the support surface in response to the inflatable compliant material being inflated from the inactive state to the active state,
wherein, in the inactive state of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator, an unsupported portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hangs freely and uninflated, and
wherein, responsive to the activation signal, the inflation component rapidly inflates the inflatable compliant material from the inactive state to the active state to cause the rigid paddle to make contact with the object to be sorted, and the contact of the rigid paddle with the object to be sorted causes the object to change from a first trajectory to a second trajectory.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the inflatable compliant material is uninflated, a portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hangs off the support surface in a generally vertical orientation.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein, when the inflatable compliant material is inflated, the portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator that extends past an end of the support surface moves away from the generally vertical orientation to make contact with the object to be sorted.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable compliant material comprises a tube of heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable compliant material comprises heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric, and wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is configured with a diameter of about 1.2 cm and a length of about 15 cm.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is tapered.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator has at least one of a circular, ovoid, rectangular, triangular, or superellipse (squircle) cross-section.

8. A method for sorting objects, the method comprising:
detecting, in a conveying system, an object to be sorted from a first trajectory to a second trajectory;
transmitting, from a control component to an inflation component coupled to an soft-rigid hybrid actuator, a control signal to cause the inflation component to transmit an inflation substance to a compliant portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator;
rapidly inflating, by the inflation component, the compliant portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator to transition the soft-rigid hybrid actuator from an inactive state to an active state, the inactive state comprising an unsupported portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hanging freely and uninflated; and
in response to rapidly inflating the soft-rigid hybrid actuator, rotating a rigid paddle with respect to a support surface to bring the rigid paddle into contact with the object to be sorted to cause the object to transition from the first trajectory to the second trajectory different from the first trajectory.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is disposed in a cantilever beam orientation atop a support surface, and wherein, when the compliant portion is uninflated, a portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hangs off the support surface in a generally vertical orientation.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, when the compliant portion is inflated, the portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator that extends past an end of the support surface moves away from the generally vertical orientation to cause the rigid paddle to make contact with the object to be sorted.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the compliant portion comprises a tube of heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the compliant portion comprises heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric, and wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is configured with a diameter of between 1 cm and 1.4 cm, and preferably 1.2 cm, and a length of between 14 cm and 16 cm.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inflatable soft-rigid hybrid actuator is tapered.

14. A control system for sorting objects, the control system comprising a processor configured to:
detect, in a conveying system, an object to be sorted from a first trajectory to a second trajectory;
transmit, from the control system to an inflation component coupled to a soft-rigid hybrid actuator, a control signal to cause the inflation component to transmit an inflation substance to a compliant portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator; and
rapidly inflate, by the inflation component, the compliant portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator to transition the soft-rigid hybrid actuator from an inactive state to an active state, the inactive state comprising an unsupported portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hanging freely and uninflated, to cause a rigid paddle to perform a swinging motion and bring the rigid paddle into contact with the object to be sorted to cause the object to transition from the first trajectory to the second trajectory different from the first trajectory;
wherein the rigid paddle is coupled to a first end of the compliant portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator,
wherein a second end of the compliant portion is coupled to a support surface, and
wherein the rigid paddle rotates with respect to the support surface in response to the compliant portion being inflated from the inactive state to the active state.

15. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is disposed in a cantilever beam orientation atop the support surface, and wherein, when the compliant portion is uninflated, a portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator hangs off the support surface in a generally vertical orientation.

16. The control system of claim 15 , wherein, when the compliant portion is inflated, the portion of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator that extends past an end of the support surface moves away from the generally vertical orientation to cause the rigid paddle to make contact with the object to be sorted.

17. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the compliant portion comprises a tube of heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric.

18. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the compliant portion comprises heat-sealable film encased in an inextensible fabric, and wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is configured with a diameter of 1.2 cm and a length of 15 cm.

19. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the soft-rigid hybrid actuator is tapered.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compliant portion extends along a first dimension of a total length of the soft-rigid hybrid actuator and the rigid portion extends along a second d

Assignees

• Polygerinos Panagiotis
• Sridar Saivimal
• Nguyen Pham Huy
• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Polygerinos Panagiotis
• Sridar Saivimal
• Nguyen Pham Huy

Classifications

• B07C2501/0018

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