@Article{osawa:scir:2021,
  author    = {Osawa, Yukiko and Kinbara, Yuho and Kageoka, Masakazu and Iida, Kenji and Kheddar, Abderrahmane},
  title     = {Soft robotic shell with active thermal display},
  journal   = {Scientific Reports},
  year      = {2021},
  volume    = {11},
  month     = {October},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41598-021-99117-y},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99117-y},
  abstract  = {Almost all robotic systems in use have hard shells, which is limiting in many ways their full potential of physical interaction with humans or their surrounding environment. Robots with soft-shell covers offer an alternative morphology which is more pleasant in both appearance and for haptic human interaction. A persisting challenge in such soft-shell robotic covers is the simultaneous realization of softness and heat-conducting properties. Such heat-conducting properties are important for enabling temperature-control of robotic covers in the range that is comfortable for human touch. The presented soft-shell robotic cover is composed of a linked two-layer structure: (1) The inner layer, with built-in pipes for water circulation, is soft and acts as a thermal-isolation layer between the cover and the robot structure, whereas (2) the outer layer, which can be patterned with a given desired texture and color, allows heat transfer from the circulating water of the inner part to the surface. Moreover, we demonstrate the ability to integrate our prototype cover with a humanoid robot equipped with capacitance sensors. This fabrication technique enables robotic cover possibilities, including tunable color, surface texture, and size, that are likely to have applications in a variety of robotic systems.},
  publisher = {Nature Publishing Group},
  address   = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}
}