ME Seminar - Design, Dynamics, and Control of Metameric Worm-like Locomotion Robots

Guest Speaker: Prof. FANG Hongbin

Institute of AI and Robotics
Fudan University

Dr FANG is currently the Associate Head and Professor at the Institute of AI and Robotics, Fudan University, China. He received the B.E. and Ph.D. degree in mechanics from Tongji University, China, in 2008 and 2015, respectively. He was a visiting Ph.D. student (2012~2014) and a Postdoctoral Researcher (2015~2017) with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He was also a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China, from 2017 to 2018. He joined Fudan University as an Associate Professor in 2018 and has been a Professor since 2022. His research interests include bio-inspired robots and modular robots, origami structures and robotics, multibody system dynamics and control, and data-driven modeling. 

Dr FANG is a member of the ASME and IEEE. He serves as a member for the Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound (TCVS) of the ASME Design Engineering Division. He is also an editorial board member for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Letters, Journal of Dynamics and Control, the Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and the Chinese Journal of Solid Mechanics.

Worm-like locomotion robots possess the capability to navigate efficiently through narrow and constrained spaces, offering a broad spectrum of potential applications in tasks such as pipeline inspection, disaster survivor rescue, and information reconnaissance. This presentation will present our recent research findings in three aspects: bio-inspired design, dynamic modeling, and coordination control. Firstly, drawing inspiration from the morphological and biomechanical traits of earthworms, we have pioneered the development of several worm-like locomotion robots over the past decade. These robots have expanded their mobility from rectilinear motion to planar motion, and further to multimodal locomotion, allowing the robot to adeptly navigate complex and dynamic work environments. Following this, we will delineate the kinematic and dynamic models of the robot, with a particular emphasis on modeling body segment deformation and the frictional interaction between the robot and the ground. Furthermore, we will introduce methods for coordinating the actuation of numerous robot segments. We propose three control strategies: discrete gait control, phase-coordinated control, and a central pattern generator (CPG)-inspired control architecture. These strategies can effectively control the robot to achieve rectilinear motion, planar motion, and gait switching. Our research journey began with curiosity and has evolved to delve deeper into engineering applications.