A Hybrid State/Disturbance Observer-Based Feedback Control of Robot with Multiple Constraints.

Controlling the manipulator is a big challenge due to its hysteresis, deadzone, saturation, and the disturbances of actuators. This study proposes a hybrid state/disturbance observer-based multiple-constraint control mechanism to address this difficulty. It first proposes a hybrid state/disturbance observer to simultaneously estimate the unmeasurable states and external disturbances.

Development of an annelid-like peristaltic crawling soft robot using dielectric elastomer actuators.

The annelid, which consists of several identical segments, exploits its soft structures to move effectively in complex natural environments. Elongation and shortening of different segments produce a reverse peristaltic wave while retractable setae generate a variable friction, enabling bidirectional crawling locomotion. Although several designs have applied soft technologies towards the construction of annelid-like robots, these robots do not exhibit the homonymous segmentation, reverse peristaltic wave and variable friction.