Engineering, and more specifically, electrical engineering can be a difficult topic to explain through spoken communication. Along with taking years of education to learn and understand necessary topics, the field is riddled with jargon and items that may take lectures to explain. However, this type of education may not be feasible for a younger or inexperienced audience. Therefore, engineers must find new ways to explain such difficult topics, especially in an attempt to garner interest in children, for example, through art.

This dissertation introduces and examines Soft Curved Reconfigurable Anisotropic Mechanisms (SCRAMs) as a solution to address actuation, manufacturing, and modeling challenges in the field of soft robotics, with the aim of facilitating the broader implementation of soft robots in various industries. SCRAM systems utilize the curved geometry of thin elastic structures to tackle these challenges in soft robots. SCRAM devices can modify their dynamic behavior by incorporating reconfigurable anisotropic stiffness, thereby enabling tailored locomotion patterns for specific tasks. This approach simplifies the actuation of robots, resulting in lighter, more flexible, cost-effective, and safer soft robotic systems. This dissertation demonstrates the potential of SCRAM devices through several case studies. These studies investigate virtual joints and shape change propagation in tubes, as well as anisotropic dynamic behavior in vibrational soft twisted beams, effectively demonstrating interesting locomotion patterns that are achievable using simple actuation mechanisms. The dissertation also addresses modeling and simulation challenges by introducing a reduced-order modeling approach. This approach enables fast and accurate simulations of soft robots and is compatible with existing rigid body simulators. Additionally, this dissertation investigates the prototyping processes of SCRAM devices and offers a comprehensive framework for the development of these devices. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates the potential of SCRAM devices to overcome actuation, modeling, and manufacturing challenges in soft robotics. The innovative concepts and approaches presented have implications for various industries that require cost-effective, adaptable, and safe robotic systems. SCRAM devices pave the way for the widespread application of soft robots in diverse domains.

In nature, some animals have an exoskeleton that provides protection, strength, and stability to the organism, but in engineering, an exoskeleton refers to a device that augments or aids human ability. However, the method of controlling these devices has been a challenge historically. Depending on the objective, control systems for exoskeletons have ranged from devices as simple spring-loaded systems to using sensors such as electromyography (EMG). Despite EMGs being very common, force sensing resistors (FSRs) can be used instead. There are multiple types of exoskeletons that target different areas of the human body, and the targeted area depends on the need of the device. Usually, the devices are developed for either medical or military usage; for this project, the focus is on medical development of an automated elbow joint to assist in rehabilitation. This thesis is a continuation of my ASU Barrett honors thesis, Upper-Extremity Exoskeleton. While working on my honors thesis, I helped develop a design for an upper extremity exoskeleton based on the Wilmer orthosis design for Mayo Clinic. Building upon the design of an orthosis, for the master’s thesis, I developed an FSR control system that is designed using a Wheatstone bridge circuit that can provide a clean reliable signal as compared to the current EMG setup.

Undulatory locomotion is a unique form of swimming that generates thrust through the propagation of a wave through a fish’s body. The proposed device utilizes a constrained compliant material with a single actuator to generate an undulatory motion. This paper draws inspiration from Anguilliformes and discusses the kinematics and dynamics of wave propagation of an underwater robot. A variety of parameters are explored through modeling and are optimized for thrust generation to better understand the device. This paper validates the theoretical spine behavior through experimentation and provides a path forward for future development in device optimization for various applications. Previous work developed devices that utilized either paired soft actuators or multiple redundant classical actuators that resulted in a complex prototype with intricate controls. The work of this paper contrasts with prior work in that it aims to achieve undulatory motion through passive actuation from a single actively driven point which simplifies the control. Through this work, the goal is to further explore low-cost soft robotics via bistable mechanisms, continuum material properties, and simplified modeling practices.

Foldable robots have gained popularity in recent years due to their versatility and portability. However, the use of composite hinges in these systems has posed challenges in terms of manufacturing complexity and cost. Historically, single material robots were very limited due to the fact that both the link and the hinge are made with the same material and striking a balance with stiffness of the link and flexibility of the hinge has been very difficult. Hinges would undergo fatigue within hundreds of cycles and show non-linear wear and physical properties. This research proposes an innovative approach to simplify foldable robotics by replacing composite hinges with single material flexure hinges. The proposed hinges are manufactured using a CO2 laser cutter and are designed to enhance performance and reduce costs over previous single-layer-hinges. A mathematical model has been developed to predict the behavior of the hinges and tune them to the desired requirements. Experimental results show that the proposed hinges offer improved flexibility and durability compared to single-layer hinges, while reducing the manufacturing cost and complexity associated with multi-layer hinges. This research contributes to the advancement of foldable robotics by offering a simplified and cost-effective solution that can foster innovation in various applications.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have revolutionized various fields, but their use in dynamic environments is still limited due to safety concerns arising from sensor malfunctions and localization errors. Inspired by birds, which exhibit unparalleled maneuverability and adaptability to dynamic environments by synergizing mechanical compliance with control, this research focused on developing a new generation of bio-inspired soft/compliant UAVs with mechanical intelligence that can withstand collisions and enable aerial interaction. The proposed approach is to harness collision energies and switch into the next favorable configuration, which helps retain stability and successfully fly even in the presence of external forces. It investigated various types of active/passive reconfigurable UAVs to demonstrate this idea. The first approach looked into designs of compliant reconfigurable quadrotors by employing springs which can reduce their dimension under external forces, thereby sustaining 2D planar collision forces and enabling flights through narrow gaps in a squeeze-and-fly manner. Next, fabric-based soft UAVs made of pneumatic beams were successfully explored to design lightweight and collision-resilient quadrotors to demonstrate 3D collision-resilience and impact-based perching. This research contributes to thorough modeling of the unique dynamics of these reconfigurable quadrotors and proposes various adaptive and learning-based controllers for robust low-level tracking. Finally, these controllers were integrated into a novel collision-inclusive motion planning framework based-on optimal control theory to perform physical interaction tasks, such as contact-based navigation, mapping, and inspection. In essence, this research redefines safety for UAVs and expands their capabilities for contact-rich tasks.