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Bioinspired Three-Dimensional-Printed Helical Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Their Characterization.
Weiping Hu1,2, Gursel Alici1,2,3
1School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
Soft Robotics
|November 6, 2019
Summary
This study introduces a novel helical soft pneumatic actuator (SPA) capable of simultaneous bending and twisting motions. This new design offers higher mechanical output and efficiency compared to traditional bending actuators, enabling versatile applications in soft robotics.
Area of Science:
- Soft robotics
- Actuator design
- Materials science
Background:
- Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) are crucial in soft robotics but often limited in motion complexity.
- Developing SPAs with multiple degrees of freedom is essential for expanding their applications.
- Current SPA designs may not meet the demands for intricate, application-specific movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a novel soft pneumatic actuator (SPA) capable of simultaneous bending and twisting.
- To analyze the influence of chamber angle and actuator length on the helical actuator's trajectory using FEM.
- To demonstrate the enhanced mechanical output and efficiency of the helical SPA compared to conventional designs.
Main Methods:
- A novel SPA design featuring a series of internal chambers with a consistent helix angle was developed.
- Finite Element Method (FEM) was utilized to simulate actuator trajectories by varying chamber angles and lengths.
- Three-dimensional printing was employed for direct fabrication of thin-walled, airtight helical actuators.
Main Results:
- The helical actuator demonstrated simultaneous bending and twisting motions.
- FEM simulations accurately predicted actuator trajectories and blocking forces.
- The helical actuator exhibited superior mechanical output (max 2.10 N blocking force) compared to a normal bending actuator (max 1.19 N blocking force) under identical pressure inputs.
Conclusions:
- The proposed helical SPA design effectively generates complex multi-DOF motions.
- 3D printing provides an efficient fabrication method for these specialized actuators.
- The helical actuator shows significant potential for advanced soft robotic systems, such as grippers for complex objects.
