WW-EAP Newsletter, Vol. 7, No. 1, June 2005 WorldWide ElectroActive Polymers EAP (Artificial Muscles) Newsletter June 2005 WW-EAP Newsletter Vol. 7, No.1 http://eap.jpl.nasa.gov 1st Wrestling Match between Human and EAP Actuated Robotic Arms was Held on March 7, 2005 in San Diego, CA flight and its advances to the level of today, the FROM THE EDITOR editor is hoping to see a similar success in making Yoseph Bar-Cohen, [email protected] EAP benefit every human being in one way or another. Further information about the competition On March 7, 2005, a major milestone was is available on http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa- accomplished in the field of EAP – we held the first nde/lommas/eap/EAP-armwrestling.htm Armwrestling Match of EAP Robotic Arm against Human (AMERAH). The competition was hosted by SPIE during the EAP-in-Action Session of the EAPAD Conf., at the Town & Country Resort, San Diego, CA. Three organizations participated in this competition bringing their EAP actuated arms that were driven by different mechanisms. The participating organizations included: Environmental Robots Incorporated (ERI), Albuquerque, NM; EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Dubendorf, Switzerland; and students from Virginia Tech. Even though all three arms lost against the student, Panna Felsen, the ERI arm was able to hold for 26-second. This is a major accomplishment for the field and in order to get a prospective of the importance of this milestone one FIGURE 1: Panna Felsen, 17-year old student from may want to remember that the first flight lasted 12- San Diego, CA, wrestling with the EAP driven arm seconds. Drawing from this example of the first of ERI, Albuquerque, NM. 1 WW-EAP Newsletter, Vol. 7, No. 1, June 2005 LIST OF CONTENTS Control Research Center, RIKEN, and. At RIKEN, FROM THE EDITOR.....................................................1 he worked on biomimetic soft robots using EAP ABOUT THE EXPERTS ...............................................2 actuators and high-speed robot-vision systems. Yoshihiro Nakabo.......................................................2 Now, in his new affiliation at AIST he is working GENERAL NEWS .........................................................2 on safety and dependability of human interactive JPL Open House.........................................................2 robots for which he is also using EAP actuators and THE FIRST ARMWRESTLING COMPETITION........3 vision sensors. The new e-mail address of Competition Participants’ Feedback...........................4 Yoshihiro Nakabo is [email protected] Other Feedbacks.........................................................6 RECENT CONFERENCES ...........................................8 2005 SPIE EAPAD Conference .................................8 CALL FOR PAPERS & FUTURE CONFERENCES ...9 GENERAL NEWS SMART05 - II ECCOMAS........................................9 The WW-EAP Webhub is continually being ICMEN 2005 ..............................................................9 updated with information regarding the EAP MRS Fall 2005 .........................................................10 activity Worldwide. This webhub can be reached SPIE 2006 EAPAD Conference ...............................10 on http://eap.jpl.nasa.gov and it is a link of the SAMPE 2006............................................................11 JPL’s NDEAA Technologies Webhub of the ACTUATOR 2006 ...................................................11 Advanced Technologies Group having the address: ROBIO 2006 ............................................................11 http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov COOPERATION INITIATIVES..................................12 Canada - University of Alberta, Edmonton..............12 USA - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA ....................12 JPL Open House ADVANCES IN EAP...................................................14 In the middle of May each year, the Jet Propulsion GERMANY - Dresden University of Tech..............14 Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, holds an open INDIA – National Chemical Laboratory..................15 house allowing the public to view the space ITALY - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica.........17 accomplishments and the innovation at JPL. JAPAN - Tokyo Inst. of Tech., RIKEN and AIST...19 Structured around the themes of technology, Earth, JAPAN – AIST, RIKEN, & Nagoya University ......20 Mars, the solar system and the universe, visitors are JAPAN – RIKEN, AIST & Nagoya University .......22 SWEDEN - Micromuscle AB ..................................23 given opportunity to see and learn how NASA USA - Hanson Robotics Inc. ....................................24 missions come together. This year, the NDEAA NEW BOOKS...............................................................24 Lab (established by and under the responsibility of Biomimetics: Mimicking & Inspired by Biology.....24 the Editor of this Newsletter) participated with IPMC Artificial Muscles book in 2nd Edition .........25 demos of its technology. Beside an ultrasonic/sonic UPCOMING EVENTS.................................................25 driller/corer (USDC), ultrasonic motor and various EAP ARCHIVES..........................................................25 novel mechanisms that were conceived and developed by the Editor and his Advanced Technologies Group, there were several EAP ABOUT THE EXPERTS related exhibits that were presented. These exhibits include the robotic platforms for testing EAP: Yoshihiro Nakabo android head that was made by David Hanson and Recently, Yoshihiro Nakabo the robotic hand that was made by Graham joined the National Institute Whiteley (can be seen on the WW-EAP Webhub of Advanced Industrial http://eap.jpl.nasa.gov). Further, David Hanson Science and Technology brought his latest android head and showed the wide (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan. He variety of facial expression that it is capable of is still working as a visiting making in a very realistic way. Also, the Virginia scientist at his former Tech robotic arm, which participated in the affiliation the Bio-Mimetic competition, was shown. Thousands of visitors participated in the Open House and many stopped 2 WW-EAP Newsletter, Vol. 7, No. 1, June 2005 by to see the exciting demos of the JPL’s NDEAA • Bring public awareness and attract interest Lab. among potential sponsors and users as well as scientists and engineers. The judges in this competition included Allen Fisher and Carolyn Fisher who represented the US ArmSports; Richard Landon - from Stan Winston Studio (SWS designed and created the robots and makeup for Spielberg’s movie AI). Mr. Landon wrote chapter 6 in the Biologically Inspired Intelligent Robots book; John D. Madden - Univ. of British Columbia (Canada), who Co-chaired the 2005 EAPAD Conference; Joanne Pransky - World's First Robotic Psychiatrist www.robot.md; and Brian Thomas - Senior Event Manager, SPIE-- The International Society for Optical Engineering. Three organizations brought their novel arms to the FIGURE 2: At the JPL open house on May 14, competition including ERI Limited, Albuquerque, 2005, the public enjoyed the JPL’s NDEAA Lab NM; EMPA, Switzerland; and three senior students hands-on exhibits. In the middle of the photo David (Steven Deso, Stephen Ros, Noah P. Papas) from Hanson is posing as wrestling with the VT robotic the Engineering Science and Mechanics Dept., arm and behind it is his latest android head. Virginia Tech. The wrestling matches were held against the human opponent, Panna Felsen, 17-years old female student from San Diego, California. THE FIRST ARMWRESTLING The student won against all the three arms, where COMPETITION the ERA arm held the longest against her lasting for In the first competition that was held on March 7, 26-seconds, while the EMPA arm held for 4- 2005, the participants used simple shape arms. seconds and the VT arm held for 3-seconds. Given that the technology is still far from being 1. The ERI arm was driven by two groups of EAP mature the rules of the competition were relaxed actuators. One group consisted of dielectric and the only major requirement was the use of EAP elastomeric resilient EAP that maintained an as the actuator. However, the ultimate goal is to equilibrium force and the second was composed win against the strongest human using as close of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) resemblance of the human arm as possible. Success strips that flexed to increase or decrease the in accomplishing this goal will require significant main resilient force. advances in the infrastructure of the field of EAP 2. The EMPA arm was driven by dielectric including: Analytical tools, materials science, elastomer EAP using multi-layered scrolled electromechanical tools, sensors, control, feedback, actuators that were organized in 4 groups. Each rapid response, larger actuation forces, actuator of these groups was capable of lifting a mass of scalability, enhanced actuation efficiency, etc. The about 20-kg. Using electronic control, these overall objectives of this competition are to: actuators were operated similar to human • Promote advances towards making EAP muscles, where two of these groups acted as actuators that are superior to the performance of protagonists and the other two operated as human muscles. antagonists. 3. The VT arm was driven by EAP batches that • Increase the worldwide visibility and recognition were made of PAN gel fibers that were enclosed of EAP materials. in three separate electrochemical cells. 3 WW-EAP Newsletter, Vol. 7, No. 1, June 2005 Competition