3D Printed Multi-Cavity Soft Actuator with Integrated Motion and Sensing Functionalities via Bio-Inspired...

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Human muscles achieve complex tasks through integrated motion and sensing.
• Existing soft actuators often have complex structures for simultaneous sensing and motion.
• Discrepant deformations arise from integrating sensing components with heterogeneous stiffness in soft actuators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a multicavity functional integration (McFI) approach for soft pneumatic actuators.
• To achieve simultaneous multidimensional motion and sensing in a single soft actuator.
• To overcome the structural complexity and deformation discrepancies of current soft actuators.

Main Methods:

• Inspired by muscle-bundle multifiber mechanisms, a multicavity design was developed.
• A bio-inspired interweaving foldable endomysium (BIFE) was used for single-material 3D printing.
• Kinematic and sensing models based on multi-cavity pressures were established.

Main Results:

• The McFI actuator demonstrated elongation, contraction, and bidirectional bending.
• The actuator successfully sensed its spatial position, orientation, and axial force.
• Two robots, a soft crawling robot and a soft gripper, were successfully built and tested.

Conclusions:

• The McFI approach offers a practical solution for integrated motion and sensing in soft actuators.
• This method enables 3D printing of single-material soft actuators with complex functionalities.
• The McFI approach shows significant potential for intelligent soft robotic innovation.