Mechanical Characterization of Compliant Cellular Robots. Part I: Passive Stiffness

Abstract Modular active cell robots (MACROs) are a design paradigm for modular robotic hardware that uses only two components, namely actuators and passive compliant joints. Under the MACRO approach, large number of joints connected to create mesh-like cellular structures can be actuated achieve deformation shape change. In this two-part paper, we study importance different possible mesh topologies within framework. Regular semi-regular tilings plane used as candidate simulated using finite element analysis (FEA). Part 1, use FEA evaluate their stiffness characteristics. Using strain-energy method, homogenized material properties (Young's modulus, shear Poisson's ratio) computed compared. The results show stiffnesses increase with increasing nodal connectivity stretching-dominated have higher compared bending-dominated ones. We also investigate role relative actuator-node on overall This shows scales directly cross-section area whereas ones do not such direct relationship.