{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/124702"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/124702","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Enhancing underwater soft robotic arms through modular multi-segment design, local hydraulic actuation and electronic sensing, and advanced control","abstract":"Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-05-01","abstract_html":"Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-05-01","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Null, W. David"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Electrical & Computer Engr","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Zhang, Yang","Hauser, Kris","Gruev, Viktor","Kim, Joohyung"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-05","date_published":"2024-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:02Z","subjects":["Underwater Robotics","Soft Robotics","Soft Hydraulic Actuation","Model Predictive Control"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2024 W. David Null"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124702","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Zhang, Yang","Hauser, Kris","Gruev, Viktor","Kim, Joohyung"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Null, W. 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David Null"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124702"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-05-01","The student, W. Null, accepted the attached license on 2024-04-24 at 15:53.","The student, W. Null, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-04-24 at 16:07.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-04-25 at 09:36.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #20623 on 2024-09-16 at 00:50:26","In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in hydraulically-driven underwater soft robotic arms, particularly for delicately grasping sea creatures in marine biology research. This type of arm can be tuned to be neutrally buoyant, draw water from its environment to pressurize its actuators, and reach around obstacles to manipulate objects. Currently, the approach to constructing these robots separates the arm from its hydraulic infrastructure and electronic sensors. As more segments are added to increase length, this approach limits the flexibility, configurability, and sensor augmentation of the arm due to the increasing number of tubes and wires fed through the center of the robot. To address this challenge, a modular approach is proposed that distributes sensing and hydraulic actuation components throughout the arm at the base of each segment. This approach is explored through three projects. First, a 2D two-module underwater arm is developed with solenoid valves and pressure sensors embedded in the base of each module. Second, this 2D robot is controlled using an automatically-tuned model predictive control algorithm. Finally, the limited workspace and size of the 2D robot are addressed through the development of a six-segment hydraulically-actuated underwater soft robotic arm with a gripper attachment. This arm was tested in water and shown to be highly dexterous in grasping experiments, capable of extending and bending around obstacles to reach its target. It is also highly configurable, as modules can be added or removed in less than an hour."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Enhancing underwater soft robotic arms through modular multi-segment design, local hydraulic actuation and electronic sensing, and advanced control"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Zhang, Yang","Hauser, Kris","Gruev, Viktor","Kim, Joohyung"],"dc:creator":["Null, W. David"],"dc:date":["2024-05","2024-04-25"],"dc:description":["Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-05-01","The student, W. Null, accepted the attached license on 2024-04-24 at 15:53.","The student, W. Null, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-04-24 at 16:07.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-04-25 at 09:36.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #20623 on 2024-09-16 at 00:50:26","In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in hydraulically-driven underwater soft robotic arms, particularly for delicately grasping sea creatures in marine biology research. This type of arm can be tuned to be neutrally buoyant, draw water from its environment to pressurize its actuators, and reach around obstacles to manipulate objects. Currently, the approach to constructing these robots separates the arm from its hydraulic infrastructure and electronic sensors. As more segments are added to increase length, this approach limits the flexibility, configurability, and sensor augmentation of the arm due to the increasing number of tubes and wires fed through the center of the robot. To address this challenge, a modular approach is proposed that distributes sensing and hydraulic actuation components throughout the arm at the base of each segment. This approach is explored through three projects. First, a 2D two-module underwater arm is developed with solenoid valves and pressure sensors embedded in the base of each module. Second, this 2D robot is controlled using an automatically-tuned model predictive control algorithm. Finally, the limited workspace and size of the 2D robot are addressed through the development of a six-segment hydraulically-actuated underwater soft robotic arm with a gripper attachment. This arm was tested in water and shown to be highly dexterous in grasping experiments, capable of extending and bending around obstacles to reach its target. It is also highly configurable, as modules can be added or removed in less than an hour."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124702"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2024 W. David Null"],"dc:subject":["Underwater Robotics","Soft Robotics","Soft Hydraulic Actuation","Model Predictive Control"],"dc:title":["Enhancing underwater soft robotic arms through modular multi-segment design, local hydraulic actuation and electronic sensing, and advanced control"],"dc:type":["text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical & Computer Engr"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:02Z"}