Bio-inspired soft pneumatic actuator based on a kresling-like pattern with a rigid skeleton

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) with Kresling origami patterns offer advantages in adaptability and safety over rigid robots.
• Conventional Kresling patterns have limitations that hinder optimal performance in soft robotic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel SPA inspired by the cloning and movement behaviors of salps.
• To design an SPA utilizing a Kresling-like pattern with a rigid skeleton for enhanced functionality.
• To assess the elongation, output force, and application potential of the proposed SPA.

Main Methods:

• Developed an SPA comprising rigid skeletons with Kresling-like patterns and a novel extensible inserting structure.
• Engineered the SPA to achieve axial contraction/expansion without twisting, mimicking salp locomotion.
• Incorporated a modular design allowing for adjustable layer count to control performance and mimic salp cloning.

Main Results:

• The SPA demonstrated significant elongation, increasing over 162% with additional layers.
• A three-layer SPA achieved an output force of 6.36 N at 10 L/min airflow, with force increasing with layers and airflow.
• The SPA's effectiveness was validated through applications in soft grippers, scissor grippers, claw grippers, and pipe crawlers.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SPA successfully avoids twisting during radial contraction, exhibiting high elongation and output force.
• This biomimetic design provides valuable insights and practical guidance for the development of bio-inspired soft robotic systems.