Vine Robots: Design, Teleoperation, and Deployment for Navigation and Exploration

Researchers are developing a new class of continuum robots characterized by tip extension, significant length change, and directional control. In this article, we call these vine robots because of their similarity to plants in their growth-trailing behavior. Due to their growth-based movement, vine robots are well suited for navigation and exploration in cluttered environments. Until now, however, they have not been deployed outside the lab. There are three features that are key for successful deployment in the field. First is portability. Second is the ability to be guided over long enough distances to be useful for navigation. Third is intuitive human-in-theloop teleoperation, which enables movement in unknown and dynamic environments. We present a vine robot system that is teleoperated using a custom-designed flexible joystick and camera system, can extend long enough for use in navigation tasks, and is portable for use in the field. We report on the deployment of this system in two scenarios: completion of a soft robot navigation competition and exploration of an archaeological site. The competition course required movement over uneven terrain, past unstable obstacles, and through a small aperture. The archeological site required movement over rocks and through horizontal and vertical turns. The robot tip successfully moved past the obstacles and through the tunnels, demonstrating the capability of vine robots to achieve navigation and exploration tasks in the field.