Power-aware integrated control systems for soft-bodied robots in dynamic environments

This paper details advancements made in the goal of creating a biomimetic soft-bodied robot based off of the Manduca Sexta caterpillar. A compact hardware system was developed to control actuators on the robot and to maintain a wireless link to a controlling computer. Sensing capabilities were demonstrated by the hardware on the robot and a wireless link allowed data sampled by the hardware to be viewed and stored on a computer. A custom graphical user interface was created that allowed the user to send instructions to the robot and view incoming data. Power saving techniques for controlling Shape Memory Alloy actuators were explored and implemented into the hardware and software system. Finally, an ultra-low power integrated circuit was developed that modeled the motor neurons of the Manduca Sexta caterpillar.