Flexible and Foldable: Workspace Analysis and Object Manipulation Using a Soft, Interconnected, Origami-Inspired Actuator Array

2025-09-17

AI Summary

Existing distributed manipulator systems suffer from poor adaptability due to stringent actuator density requirements and constraints on the object-to-actuator size ratio. This work proposes an origami-inspired, flexible, foldable actuator array composed of multiple 3-DOF robotic tiles interconnected via a compliant surface, forming a continuously controllable manipulation plane. Crucially, we exploit controlled deformation of the interconnecting material to expand the effective manipulation workspace—thereby circumventing the actuator density bottleneck and increasing operable area by 1.84×. The approach integrates soft actuator design, distributed coordination control, compliant interface integration, and motion primitive modeling. Experiments demonstrate stable translational manipulation of geometric objects using multi-tile arrays, achieving significant workspace enlargement while reducing system complexity. This work establishes a novel paradigm for flexible, distributed manipulation.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Multiagent Systems: Distributed Problem Solving
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Replanning and Plan Repair

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems

Abstract

Object manipulation is a fundamental challenge in robotics, where systems must balance trade-offs among manipulation capabilities, system complexity, and throughput. Distributed manipulator systems (DMS) use the coordinated motion of actuator arrays to perform complex object manipulation tasks, seeing widespread exploration within the literature and in industry. However, existing DMS designs typically rely on high actuator densities and impose constraints on object-to-actuator scale ratios, limiting their adaptability. We present a novel DMS design utilizing an array of 3-DoF, origami-inspired robotic tiles interconnected by a compliant surface layer. Unlike conventional DMS, our approach enables manipulation not only at the actuator end effectors but also across a flexible surface connecting all actuators; creating a continuous, controllable manipulation surface. We analyse the combined workspace of such a system, derive simple motion primitives, and demonstrate its capabilities to translate simple geometric objects across an array of tiles. By leveraging the inter-tile connective material, our approach significantly reduces actuator density, increasing the area over which an object can be manipulated by x1.84 without an increase in the number of actuators. This design offers a lower cost and complexity alternative to traditional high-density arrays, and introduces new opportunities for manipulation strategies that leverage the flexibility of the interconnected surface.

Problem

• Reducing actuator density in distributed manipulator systems
• Enhancing object manipulation via flexible interconnected surfaces
• Overcoming scale ratio constraints in robotic manipulation

Innovation

• Soft interconnected origami-inspired actuator array
• Leveraging inter-tile compliant surface for manipulation
• Reduced actuator density with expanded manipulation area