Final Report Summary - SPEAR (Series-Parallel Elastic Actuators for Robotics)
Moreover, robotic systems are typically dimensioned to be able to withstand occasional extreme loads, instead of being designed based on their performance tasks. This over-dimensioning results in heavy and oversized robotic systems. In SPEAR we worked on the ambitious breakthrough to develop a material-oriented solution by implementing self-healing (SH) materials for actuators. Self-healing grippers, hands, pneumatic muscles and mechanical fuses, consisting of (multiple) materials with different mechanical properties were developed using several manufacturing techniques as shaping through folding and self-healing, compression moulding and 3D printing. The original structure and properties could be regained after applying damages.