Technology Area: Actuators
132 Results for 'Actuators'
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Technologies 15
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Soft artificial muscles for soft robots
Soft robots, similar to living organisms, are made from compliant materials that allow them great flexibility and adaptability for tasks at the human-robot interface and elsewhere. To enable soft robotic missions in different industrial, exploratory, and medical settings, engineers are trying to equip them with artificial muscles that could enable them to move smoothly, efficiently... -
Soft exosuits for back support during strenuous tasks
Over half a million workers in the manufacturing and construction industries are injured on the job each year, resulting in an estimated direct cost of $13.8 billion. Occupational back pain is the leading cause of injury and accounts for one-third of all musculoskeletal injuries, resulting in a median of eight days of missed work. Discussions... -
Millimeter-scale Delta robot (milliDelta)
Delta robots are deployed in many industrial processes, including pick-and-place assemblies, machining, welding, and food packaging. Three individually controlled lightweight arms enable fast and accurate motion of an output platform in three directions. Roboticists have reduced the size of Delta robots for tasks in limited workspaces, but so far, using conventional manufacturing techniques and components,... -
Versatile Ambulatory Microrobots
Small or difficult-to-access spaces such as areas covered with rubble, or narrow pipes and engines can pose obstacles to search-and-rescue missions, repair works, or environmental and industrial monitoring. One solution for these problems could be small-sized robots that are able to navigate such spaces, transport payload, sense, and communicate. Wyss Institute researchers have developed a... -
Soft Wearable Shoulder-Assistive Device
Patients suffering from neuromuscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and incomplete spinal cord injury are, in many cases, confronted with partial or total loss of their shoulder strength and mobility that greatly limit their abilities to perform activities of daily living. In the long term, this is believed to increase their... -
Root – A robot to empower the next generation of coders
Computing is currently the fastest growing segment in the STEM fields, yet education in this area has lagged behind technological progress and demand. One of the main challenges in teaching K-16 coding is the difficulty in finding frameworks that span a wide age range and appeal to broad audiences. Databases aren’t something that excite most...
News 74
Multimedia 43
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Video/AnimationTension PistonsThe Tension Piston, developed at the Wyss Institute and MIT CSAIL, amplifies piston force and increases energy efficiency by using flexible materials to transmit fluid-induced tension. The Tension Piston is able to produce substantially greater force compared to a conventional piston at the same driving pressure. Tension Pistons can be used in pumps, engines, compressors,... -
Video/AnimationRomu: A Robot for Environmental ProtectionResearchers at the Wyss Institute have developed a robot designed to drive interlocking sheet piles into the ground to help stabilize soil. Teams of such robots could help combat erosion, restore damaged landscapes, and facilitate sustainable land management in a variety of settings. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard -
Video/AnimationRobert Wood receives Max Planck-Humboldt MedalThis photomatic portrays Robert Wood and his team innovating (soft) robotics research with new approaches. Credit: Max Planck Society -
Video/AnimationSoft Robotic Arms: Giving Biologists a Delicate, Deep-sea ReachWhat good is a soft robotic hand without a soft robotic arm to move it? Wyss researchers have now created a soft, modular underwater arm that can help marine biologists study hard-to-reach organisms in the deep sea. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University -
Video/AnimationMulti-joint Personalized Soft Exosuit Breaks New GroundA multidisciplinary team at Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Harvard SEAS has developed a mobile multi-joint soft exosuit using an automatic tuning strategy that could reduce fatigue in soldiers, firefighters or other rescue workers. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University -
Video/AnimationNanofiber-Reinforced Micro-ActuatorsThis video explains how two fabrication techniques, soft lithography and rotary jet spinning of nanofibers, are combined to create a new type of micro-actuator for the manipulation of small fragile objects in challenging environments. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University