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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

Electro-pneumatic pumps for soft robotics.

R S Diteesawat^1,2, T Helps^1,2, M Taghavi^1,2

¹Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1BU, UK.

Science Robotics

|May 27, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a lightweight, flexible electro-pneumatic pump (EPP) for soft robotics. This silent, portable device overcomes limitations of traditional pneumatic power sources, enabling advanced wearable and mobile robots.

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Last Updated: Nov 4, 2025

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Area of Science:

Robotics
Materials Science
Mechanical Engineering

Background:

Soft robotics applications are expanding, but portability and performance are hindered by bulky pneumatic energy sources.
Existing power sources like heavy pressure vessels or inefficient pumps limit the mobility and practicality of soft robotic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel, lightweight, and flexible electro-pneumatic pump (EPP) for localized pneumatic power in soft robots.
To overcome the limitations of current pneumatic power sources, enabling more portable and efficient soft robotic systems.

Main Methods:

The electro-pneumatic pump (EPP) is actuated using dielectric fluid-amplified electrostatic zipping.
The device's performance was characterized by measuring pressure, volumetric flow rate, power consumption, and its ability to drive a soft robotic actuator.

Main Results:

The EPP achieves pressures up to 2.34 kPa and flow rates up to 161 mL/min using under 0.5 W.
The device is exceptionally thin (1.1 mm) and lightweight (5.3 g), demonstrating significant advancements in portable pneumatic power.
EPP-driven soft robotic actuators showed a maximum contraction change of 32.40% and actuation velocity of 54.43%/s.

Conclusions:

The developed EPP offers a versatile, silent, and efficient solution for powering soft robots.
This technology enables the creation of advanced wearable assistive devices and lightweight, mobile, multifunctional robots.
The EPP's characteristics make it suitable for a wide range of soft robotics applications, enhancing device portability and performance.