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Shaping Soft Robotic Microactuators by Wire Electrical Discharge Grinding.

Edoardo Milana1, Mattia Bellotti1, Benjamin Gorissen1,2

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven and Flanders Make, Celestijnenlaan 300, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.

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Summary

This study introduces wire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG) to create complex inflatable voids in soft microactuators, enabling novel bending motions and functionalities beyond current limitations.

Keywords:
electrical discharge machining (EDM)micromouldingsoft microroboticswire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG)

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Inflatable soft microactuators rely on internal void geometry for motion.
  • Fabrication limits restrict void complexity, hindering actuator performance.
  • Novel methods are needed to create complex void geometries for advanced functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce wire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG) for fabricating complex inflatable voids in microactuators.
  • To enable new deformation patterns and functionalities in soft microactuators.
  • To demonstrate the effectiveness of WEDG in creating molds for high-precision microactuator fabrication.

Main Methods:

  • Wire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG) was employed to shape the inner cavity molds for microactuators.
  • Micromilling defined the outer actuator shape, while WEDG defined the inner void.
  • A bonding-free micromolding process was used to cast rubber microactuators using WEDG-fabricated molds.
  • A multi-segment linear bending model was used to analyze deformation patterns.

Main Results:

  • WEDG enabled the creation of microactuators with complex internal void geometries.
  • Fabricated microactuators exhibited diverse and complex deformation patterns, including curling and multi-point bending.
  • Actuation tests at 50 kPa confirmed the ability to achieve sophisticated movements.

Conclusions:

  • WEDG is a viable technique for increasing the complexity of inflatable voids in soft microactuators.
  • This method significantly expands the range of achievable motions and functionalities for microactuators.
  • The precise mold fabrication using WEDG is crucial for producing microactuators with desired complex deformations.