Edible soft robotic systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12246447-B2
Application number	US-202418434052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2024
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

An edible soft robot system may be used to display and/or interact with edible inflatable objects. In an embodiment, the edible inflatable object is configured to receive a fluid in an internal compartment. The edible inflatable object may be reversibly coupled to a container, wherein coupling the edible inflatable object to the container comprises aligning a port of the edible inflatable object to a fluid conduit to fluidically couple the internal compartment to the fluid conduit. A control system of the edible soft robot system is configured to receive instructions to adjust inflation of the internal compartment by activating fluid flow into or out of the internal compartment via the fluid conduit, wherein adjusting inflation of the internal compartment causes the edible inflatable object to actuate on or within the container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An edible soft robot system, comprising:
an interactive surface comprising a plurality of elements arranged in an array;
a plurality of edible inflatable objects disposed on the interactive surface, wherein each individual edible inflatable object is in contact with at least one element of the plurality of elements; and
a control system configured to control activation of the plurality of elements to cause at least one edible inflatable object of the plurality of edible inflatable objects to actuate.

2. The edible soft robot system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements comprises fluid conduit elements, sensor elements, and effects elements.

3. The edible soft robot system of claim 2 , wherein the effects elements comprise at least one heating element.

4. The edible soft robot system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements is arranged in the array such that at least some adjacent elements are different from one another.

5. The edible soft robot system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to activate a portion of the plurality of elements detected in a proximity to an edible inflatable object of the plurality of edible inflatable objects.

6. An edible inflatable object display system, comprising:
an edible inflatable object holding a fluid in a closed internal compartment of the edible inflatable object;
a container within which the edible inflatable object is displayed;
a fluid conduit extending into an interior of the container; and
a pump configured to activate fluid flow into or out of the interior of the container via the fluid conduit to cause the edible inflatable object to actuate within the container.

7. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 6 , wherein the container is a bulk container containing multiple edible inflatable objects.

8. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 7 , comprising a controller that instructs the pump to activate the fluid flow.

9. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , wherein the controller causes the pump to cycle between positive pressure and negative pressure cycles to cause the edible inflatable object to actuate within the container.

10. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , comprising a sensor that generates a signal indicative of a proximity of a user or contact with the container and wherein a controller instructs the pump to create a positive pressure in the interior of the container in response to the signal.

11. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 10 , wherein the container comprises a lid or door providing access to the interior of the container, and wherein the signal is indicative of user contact with the lid or door.

12. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , wherein the pump activates the fluid flow to change a container pressure in the interior of the container to be greater than a pressure of the fluid in the closed internal compartment to cause the fluid in the edible inflatable object to contract.

13. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , wherein the pump activates the fluid flow to change a container pressure in the interior of the container to be less than a pressure of the fluid in the closed internal compartment to cause the fluid in the edible inflatable object to expand.

14. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , wherein the pump activates the fluid flow to maintain a container pressure in the interior of the container that is different than a pressure of the fluid in the closed internal compartment.

15. The edible inflatable object display system of claim 8 , wherein the closed internal compartment is separated from the interior of the container by a flexible membrane that deforms in response to pressure changes in the container.

16. An edible soft robot system, comprising:
at least one edible inflatable object formed at least in part from an edible material and comprising an internal compartment configured to receive a fluid;
one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicative of a parameter of the system;
a control system coupled to the at least one edible inflatable object, wherein the control system is configured to:
receive sensor data from the one or more sensors;
adjust inflation of the at least one edible inflatable object, by directing fluid into or out of the internal compartment based on the sensor data; and
activate one or more special effects based on the sensor data.

17. The edible soft robot system of claim 16 , wherein the control system comprises a fluid control system coupled to the at least one edible inflatable object, wherein the fluid control system is configured to direct fluid into the internal compartment through an open port formed in the at least one edible inflatable object to adjust the inflation.

18. The edible soft robot system of claim 16 , wherein the control system comprises an effects control system coupled to the at least one edible inflatable object or a container holding the at least one edible inflatable object, wherein the effects control system is configured to activate a light, temperature, and/or audio/visual effect based on the sensor data.

19. The edible soft robot system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a proximity sensor, and wherein the control system is configured to activate the fluid control system to initiate an animation of the at least one edible inflatable object based on the sensor data being indicative of proximity of a user.

20. The edible soft robot system of claim 19 , wherein the animation comprises a plurality of inflation adjustments of the internal compartment.

21. The edible soft robot system of claim 20 , wherein the one or more special effects are coordinated with the animation.

22. The edible soft robot system of claim 16 , comprising a special effects system configured to control activation of the one or more special effects, wherein the special effects system is configured to heat or cool a fluid provided to the internal compartment of the at least one edible inflatable object.

23. The edible soft robot system of claim 16 , wherein an edible inflatable object of the at least one edible inflatable object comprises:
a port or valve extending from an opening in an exterior surface of the edible inflatable object to the internal compartment of the edible inflatable object; and
a gasket disposed about the opening, wherein the gasket comprises a recess formed within the exterior surface of the edible inflatable object.

24. The edible soft robot system of claim 23 , comprising a mounting surface on which the edible inflatable object is disposed, wherein the mounting surface comprises a plurality of passageways extending through the mounting surface and configured to permit flow of fluid to or from one or more fluid sources, wherein at least a first passageway of the plurality of passageways is positioned to align with the gasket when a second passageway of the plurality of passageways is aligned with the valve, wherein the control system is configured to draw a vacuum through the first passageway while flowing fluid through the second passageway into the internal compartment.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Krauthamer Akiva Meir
• Humphreys Kimberly Anne
• Jeromin Aaron Chandler
• Hertzler Elam Kevin
• Garnier Timothy Fitzgerald

Classifications

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• A63F2250/022

  with edible parts · CPC title

• B25J11/0045

  Manipulators used in the food industry · CPC title

• B25J9/0015

  Flexure members, i.e. parts of manipulators having a narrowed section allowing articulation by flexion · CPC title

• A63H2200/00

  Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls · CPC title