A Novel Soft Machine Table for Manipulation of Delicate Objects Inspired by Caterpillar Locomotion

This paper presents a soft XY machine table inspired by the locomotion of the caterpillar. The proposed table is capable of manipulating objects in three degrees of freedom through the deformation on the soft surface. The softness of the surface enables the table to handle delicate objects such as food products and industry components without damaging them. A novel object manipulation method is inspired by the proleg movement seen in the caterpillar's crawling gait. A prototype of the table's actuation system has been designed and fabricated. Our experimental results prove that the table is able to move an object in both translational and rotational direction. This validates the manipulation concept developed and shows that the challenging task of transporting flat objects is accomplished. A representation method for surface deformation is developed to aid the modeling and control of the physical system in the future.