Reconfigurable Transparent Variable-Stiffness Soft Robot for Underwater Operations

In the realm of underwater exploration and operations, soft robots exhibit considerable application potential due to their capacity for agile and complex deformations as well as their inherent compliance. These characteristics grant them excellent environmental adaptability and reduce damage to delicate samples and organisms. Nonetheless, existing underwater soft robots are primarily designed to mimic the movements of marine organisms or for specific functions, and little attention is paid to the camouflage ability. To address these challenges, in this study, a reconfigurable transparent soft robot with variable stiffness for underwater operations is presented. The design and fabrication methodology of the robot module is presented, followed by the kinematic analysis and stiffness characterization. Leveraging the proposed robot module, a soft manipulator and a soft gripper are designed for underwater operations. The soft manipulator excels in underwater pipeline detection and obstacle avoidance, while the soft gripper showcases considerable load-bearing capacity (about 71 times its weight), making it suitable for tasks such as retrieving aquatic biological samples or garbage fishing. The proposed reconfigurable soft robot demonstrates robust camouflage capabilities, high environmental adaptability, and notable versatility, suggesting potential solutions to existing challenges in the field of underwater exploration. In this work, a reconfigurable transparent soft robot with variable stiffness capability for underwater operations is presented. Detailed design and fabrication methodology, kinematic analysis, and stiffness characterization of the robot are provided. Furthermore, a soft manipulator and a soft gripper are designed respectively for underwater exploration and grasping to demonstrate its potential for underwater operations.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH