State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing for Thin-Walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
Sci Adv. 2023 Apr 14;9(15):eadg1203. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1203. Epub 2023 Apr 12.
Soft structures and actuation allow robots, conventionally consisting of rigid components, to perform more compliant, adaptive interactions similar to living creatures. Although numerous functions of these types of actuators have been demonstrated in the literature, their hyperelastic designs generally suffer from limited workspaces and load-carrying capabilities primarily due to their structural stretchability factor. Here, we describe a series of pneumatic actuators based on soft but less stretchable fabric that can simultaneously perform tunable workspace and bear a high payload. The motion mode of the actuator is programmable, combinable, and predictable and is informed by rapid response to low input pressure. A robotic gripper using three fabric actuators is also presented. The gripper demonstrates a grasping force of over 150 N and a grasping range from 70 to 350 millimeters. The design concept and comprehensive guidelines presented would provide design and analysis foundations for applying less stretchable yet soft materials in soft robots to further enhance their practicality.
软结构和致动器使传统上由刚性部件组成的机器人能够执行更具适应性的交互作用,类似于生物。尽管这些类型的致动器的许多功能已经在文献中得到了证明,但由于其结构的拉伸因子,它们的超弹性设计通常受到有限的工作空间和承载能力的限制。在这里,我们描述了一系列基于柔软但弹性较小的织物的气动致动器,这些致动器可以同时进行可调工作空间和承载高负载。致动器的运动模式是可编程的、可组合的和可预测的,并且可以快速响应低输入压力。还提出了一种使用三个织物致动器的机器人夹持器。该夹持器的夹持力超过 150N,夹持范围为 70 至 350 毫米。所提出的设计概念和全面的指导方针将为在软机器人中应用柔软但弹性较小的材料提供设计和分析基础,以进一步提高其实用性。