Biomimetic threading of gel fibers
main / research / robotic threading of gel fibers
Fiber is a versatile material widely used in our life. Despite advancements in artificial fiber manufacturing, modern artificial fibers often fall short in terms of toughness compared to natural silk, largely because current production methods rely mostly on velocity or pressure regulation, with little control of the fiber forming process. In contrast, spiders can create silk fibers with exceptional properties by meticulously regulating the threading process in terms of both force and velocity through their legs and spinnerets.
In this of research, we have developed bio-mimetic robotic instruments and methods for threading and in-situ testing of gel fibers using both displacement and force information. Utilizing advanced control algorithms and AI, we thread fibers through a mobile precision gel dispenser and highly sensitive force sensor, mimicking a spider's process. The results indicate that the fibers pulled using our method exhibit high tensile strength when compared to fibers produced by similar extrusion-based methods, presenting a promising avenue for advancements in artificial fiber technology.
Selected publications:
- Bettahar, H., Mulero David, B., Ville, K., Linder, M.B. and Zhou, Q., "Rapid Improvement of Fiber Tensile Properties via In Situ Biomimetic Robotic Pulling and Bayesian Optimization", Advanced Intelligent Systems, p.2300610, 2023.
- Bettahar, H., Harischandra, P.D. and Zhou, "Robotic threading from a gel-like substance based on impedance control with force tracking", IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 7(1), pp.33-40, 2021.
- Välisalmi, T., Bettahar, H., Zhou, Q. and Linder, M.B., "Pulling and analyzing silk fibers from aqueous solution using a robotic device", International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 250, p.126161, 2023.
- Bettahar, H., Välisalmi, T., Linder, M. and Zhou, Q., "Robotic Fiber Fabrication based on Solidification Force Control", In 2022 International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS) (pp. 1-6), 2022.
- Bettahar, H., Arthur, V. and Zhou, Q., "Robotic Gel Dispensing based on Visual Servoing for Fiber Threading", In 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC) (pp. 9-17), 2023.
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