Design of Gel Fiber Turnover for Self Cleaning in Soft Robotics

Abstract

Human-robot interaction in soft robots involves physical touch with the user. Soft matter materials such as silicone and urethane are often used in the bodies of soft robots. These materials have advantages excellent softness and waterproofness, however the tackiness of the surface causes solid dust and lipophilic stains to adhere. In order to realize long-term operation of the soft robot for communication, a method of preventing external stains is required. Coating, which is one of the methods, is not recommended because it impairs the texture of soft materials.Therefore, we focus on hydrogels which have excellent water content and adsorptivity. The stains are classified into three types: water-soluble stains, lipophilic stains, and solid stains. Hydrogel absorbs water-based stains. Moisture inside can be expected to have a oil-repellent function that prevents the invasion of lipophilic stains. Then, it is also possible to impart electrical properties and adsorb solid dust by changing the monomer contained in the gel to anionic or cationic.On the other hand, although these gel materials have excellent functionality for preventing stains, there are problems that water evaporates and shrinks, and that the caught stains remain on the surface or inside. In order to solve this problem, we introduce a gel fiber system. This system forms the gel fiber-covered surface and adsorbs external dust. In this study, the stain removing performance of the fibrous gel on the surface is quantified using image processing.