Graduation Semester and Year

2021

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Alan P Bowling

Abstract

Simulation and modeling are well known and important tools in the field of robotics, being used to validate design and in the development of robotic control systems. Traditionally, robotic systems have been primarily rigid body systems and used in well controlled environments where interactions are highly predictable, and exceptions are minimized. With the ever-increasing adoption of robotics in the medical field, typical robotic environments are becoming highly unpredictable and requiring the modeling and simulation of not only rigid body systems but soft systems and interactions between the two. This work addresses model improvement of a “soft and hard” robotic system for the intended use in the medical field. Previous teams in the RBDSL group conceptualized a “soft and hard” robotic manipulator for the reduction of pressure ulcers in immobile hospital patients. The force bed that was developed relied upon a rigid body parallel chain mechanism and a soft body air bladder to accomplish its manipulation of patients. The force bed air bladder model was improved upon using recent techniques in cloth modeling and simulation. Results show an intuitive matching with the real-world physical force bed and the improved simulated force bed model.

Keywords

Cloth models, Models, Soft body, Soft robotics

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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