Gecko Inspired Adhesives for Enhanced Dexterity of Robotic Manipulation Systems

Valuable time is spent by astronauts performing simple, mundane, or ergonomically taxing tasks. Therefore, one center of focus for NASA is to have robots increasingly perform these tasks to give the crew more time flexibility. Robots are also employed with tasks that are too dangerous for humans or when movement could affect the results and success of a task. The following proposal applies nanoGrip's expertise in design, fabrication, and characterization of gecko-inspired microfiber adhesives to produce a new generation of materials that increases the dexterity of these robots' manipulators so that they can perform a larger variety of manipulation tasks with higher precision. In this proposal, an emphasis will be placed on manipulating objects that are either small, delicate, or with a difficult to grip form factor where the current state of the art in manipulation may struggle. Microfiber adhesive materials developed during this project will be evaluated for their shear strength in contact with systems and materials which may be encountered by the Robonaut 2 (R2) manipulator on the International Space Station, for their ability to stick and unstick reliably through pick and place experiments, and for their ability to perform manipulation tasks when incorporated onto a robotic manipulator. Proof of concept robotic manipulation during these studies will be performed in collaboration with our consulting partner on Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) Robotics Institute's bimanual dexterous manipulation robot. Additionally, prototypes will be delivered to NASA for qualitative or quantitative evaluation. At NASA's discretion, testing may be performed at the Johnson Space Center's Dextrous Robotics Lab for material evaluation on the ground-based R2 manipulator.

With the success of the proposed research and subsequent development during a Phase II project, these materials will be ready to be commercialized as adhesive finger pads or gloves for use on NASA's robotic manipulator fleet. Additional applications for these materials within NASA include temporary anchoring materials for broad range of space applications. This list may include mounting sensors, instruments, tools, tablet computers, checklists, flexible videoscopes, and so on to the International Space Station, inflatable space habitats, or other vessels. Additionally, they may be used on removable gecko-inspired adhesive slippers or knee pads to provide astronaut anchoring, or similar devices to provide anchoring for the R2 manipulator to free these actors to perform two-handed tasks in zero gravity environments.

This work also has broader implications in other government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, where robots are commonly used to perform tasks such as bomb diffusion or the handling and detection of toxic substances. These areas will benefit from the findings in the Phase I research by enabling similar robots to have more grasping dexterity essential for these dangerous situations. Additionally, there will be commercial applications of the findings of this research for industrial manufacturing robotic manipulators, for example for automotive, consumer electronic, or microprocessor assembly processes where delicate materials may need to be handled in a precise manner. The materials developed in this Phase I research will also directly be valuable to our existing potential commercial clients in the consumer product, apparel, packaging, manufacturing, and medical equipment markets.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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