Soft Robot Control with a Behaviour-Based Architecture

Abstract

In this chapter, we explain how behaviour-based approaches can be used to control soft robots. Soft robotics is a strongly growing field generating innovative concepts and novel systems. The term “soft” can refer to the basic structure, the actuators, or the sensors of these systems. The soft aspect results in a number of challenges that can only be solved with new modelling, control, and analysis methods whose novelty matches those of the hardware. We will present prior achievements in the area of behaviour-based systems and suggest their application in soft robots with the aim to increase the fault tolerance while improving the reaction to unexpected disturbances.