IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 44

©SHUTTERSTOCK/MUSHAKESA
©SHUTTERSTOCK/BASTINDA18

By Seppe Terryn, Joost Brancart, Ellen Roels,
Guy Van Assche, and Bram Vanderborght

Room Temperature
Self-Healing in
Soft Pneumatic Robotics
Autonomous Self-Healing in a Diels-Alder
Polymer Network

H

ealable soft robotic systems have been developed by constructing flexible membranes
out of Diels-Alder (DA) polymer networks. In
these components, relatively large amounts of
damage, on the centimeter scale, can be healed,
provided that the temperature is increased to 80-90 °C.
This article presents a new DA polymer network that
can heal at room temperature through a smart design
of the network that increases the molecular mobility
in the material. This new material is used to develop
the first healable soft robotic prototype that can
autonomously recover from severe, realistic damage.
The soft pneumatic hand can recover from various
types of injuries, including being cut completely in
half, without the need for a temperature increase. After
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2020.3024275
Date of current version: 9 December 2020

44

*

IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

*

DECEMBER 2020

healing, the performance of the soft robotic prototype
is recovered.
Introduction
Soft robots can resist strong mechanical impacts [1], [2].
However, throughout their lifetime, they are susceptible to
other damaging conditions. They are prone to fatigue, which
is the formation of microscopic cracks that propagate into
macroscopic defects. In addition, their membranes can be
perforated and cut by sharp objects, such as broken glass, corners, nails, and splinters. Soft grippers [3], [4] are being
designed to manipulate delicate fruits and vegetables in agriculture and food packaging. Jagged twigs, thorns, sharp plastics, and glass can end up on the sorting lines and harm these
grippers. Damage can influence the performance of the soft
component. If the membrane of a pneumatic soft actuator is
perforated, fluid escapes, and the actuator performance
decreases. In many cases, the actuator can be used in this
1070-9932/20©2020IEEE



IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020

Contents
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - Cover1
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - Cover2
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - Contents
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 2
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 3
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 4
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 5
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 6
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 7
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 8
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 9
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 10
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 11
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 12
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 13
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 14
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 15
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 16
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 17
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 18
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 19
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 20
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 21
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 22
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 23
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 24
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 25
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 26
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 27
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 28
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 29
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 30
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 31
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 32
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 33
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 34
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 35
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 36
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 37
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 38
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 39
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 40
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 41
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 42
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 43
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 44
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 45
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 46
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 47
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 48
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 49
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 50
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 51
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 52
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 53
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 54
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 55
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 56
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 57
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 58
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 59
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 60
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 61
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 62
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 63
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 64
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 65
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 66
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 67
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 68
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 69
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 70
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 71
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 72
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 73
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 74
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 75
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 76
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 77
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 78
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 79
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 80
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 81
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 82
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 83
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 84
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 85
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 86
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 87
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - 88
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - Cover3
IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_june2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_march2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_december2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/roboticsautomation_september2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com