Flagella : Design of the robot arm with an impression like a soft creature(<Special Issue>Digital Fabrication and VR)

Abstract

The exterior design is an important factor in controlling the overall impression a product. In the case of a robot design, the factors that make up its appearance are not only its motions but also its shape, and therefore, when designing a robot, its motions and shape should be designed in the same way. In this paper, we propose a method for designing the shape and motions of a robot that make it appear as if it were a soft creature. When we see the rotation of its curved pipes, which appear to twist, we can feel as if the robot is changing its shape. Using this structure, we developed a specific robot called "Flagella," which moves softly like an animal. Herein, we show the design, implementation, and feedback of the Flagella robot.