Abstract
Modern marine biologists seeking to study or interact with deep-sea organisms are confronted with few options beyond industrial robotic arms, claws, and suction samplers. This limits biological interactions to a subset of “rugged” and mostly immotile fauna. As the deep sea is one of the most biologically diverse and least studied ecosystems on the planet, there is much room for innovation in facilitating delicate interactions with a multitude of organisms. The biodiversity and physiology of shallow marine systems, such as coral reefs, are common study targets due to the easier nature of access; SCUBA diving allows for in situ delicate human interactions. Beyond the range of technical SCUBA (~150 m), the ability to achieve the same level of human dexterity using robotic systems becomes critically important. The deep ocean is navigated primarily by manned submersibles or remotely operated vehicles, which currently offer few options for delicate manipulation. Here we present results in developing a soft robotic manipulator for deep-sea biological sampling. This low-power glove-controlled soft robot was designed with the future marine biologist in mind, where science can be conducted at a comparable or better means than via a human diver and at depths well beyond the limits of SCUBA. The technology relies on compliant materials that are matched with the soft and fragile nature of marine organisms, and uses seawater as the working fluid. Actuators are driven by a custom proportional-control hydraulic engine that requires less than 50 W of electrical power, making it suitable for battery-powered operation. A wearable glove master allows for intuitive control of the arm. The manipulator system has been successfully operated in depths exceeding 2300 m (3500 psi) and has been field-tested onboard a manned submersible and unmanned remotely operated vehicles. The design, development, testing, and field trials of the soft manipulator is placed in context with existing systems and we offer suggestions for future work based on these findings.
Highlights
Arms are driven using energy-hungry hydraulic power systems, which directly affect the scale, design architecture, and operational time of deep-sea vehicles
The deep-sea remains the least explored biome on the planet[18]. Robust animals such as corals and holothurians can be damaged by traditional heavy-duty manipulator systems, while gelatinous animals often remain undescribed entirely because they are too fragile for successful collection via suction sampling[19]
The gripping module is based on previous work experimenting with various finger designs and configurations, and all other components are based on soft actuator modules that have been demonstrated to function under extreme hydrostatic pressures
Summary
Arms are driven using energy-hungry hydraulic power systems, which directly affect the scale, design architecture, and operational time of deep-sea vehicles. Deep-sea biologists are increasingly focused on conducting nuanced tasks associated with sampling, observing, and experimenting with fragile organisms[5] This requirement has inspired a new field of marine robotics that is focused on delicate and precise manipulation, enabled in large part by the growing discipline of soft robotics[6]. These efforts fall into two categories: gripping devices, which have demonstrated functionality at a range of depths[7,8,9,10,11,12,13], and full manipulators, which have only been demonstrated in shallow waters[14,15,16]. The manipulator system has demonstrated successful operation at hydrostatic pressures equivalent to a seawater depth of 2300 m, and has been field-tested onboard a manned submersible and an unmanned remotely operated vehicle
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