Tube-Balloon Logic for the Exploration of Fluidic Control Elements

TL;DR

This paper introduces tube-balloon logic, a simple, low-cost fluidic control system made from straws and balloons, enabling easy exploration of soft robot control without complex fabrication or electronics.

Contribution

The authors present a novel, easy-to-fabricate fluidic logic circuitry using straws and balloons, facilitating accessible research in soft robot control systems.

Findings

Devices operate at pressures up to 200 kPa

Oscillation frequencies reach up to 15 Hz

Able to implement basic logic gates and a vibrating sieve

Abstract

The control of pneumatically driven soft robots typically requires electronics. Microcontrollers are connected to power electronics that switch valves and pumps on and off. As a recent alternative, fluidic control methods have been introduced, in which soft digital logic gates permit multiple actuation states to be achieved in soft systems. Such systems have demonstrated autonomous behaviors without the use of electronics. However, fluidic controllers have required complex fabrication processes. To democratize the exploration of fluidic controllers, we developed tube-balloon logic circuitry, which consists of logic gates made from straws and balloons. Each tube-balloon logic device takes a novice five minutes to fabricate and costs $0.45. Tube-balloon logic devices can also operate at pressures of up to 200 kPa and oscillate at frequencies of up to 15 Hz. We configure the tube-balloon logic device as NOT-, NAND-, and NOR-gates and assemble them into a three-ring oscillator to demonstrate a vibrating sieve that separates sugar from rice. Because tube-balloon logic devices are low-cost, easy to fabricate, and their operating principle is simple, they are well suited for exploring fundamental concepts of fluidic control schemes while encouraging design inquiry for pneumatically driven soft robots