EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF A MULTI-SEGMENT SOFT ACTUATOR

Dan-Mihai RUSU, Silviu-Dan MÂNDRU

Abstract


In the present work, we have experimentally addressed the influence of the inner cavity wall thickness on the characteristics of motion’s amplitude and force developed by pneumatically actuated multi-segment soft actuators. These are used for various soft robotics applications, such as rehabilitation/assistance or prehension. This parameter was varied on a series of 4 multi-segment actuators starting from a wall thickness of 1 mm up to 2.5 mm. The multi-segment soft actuators were manufactured based on a rigorous methodology through moulding technology using DragonSkin 20 bicomponent silicone rubber with shore hardness of 20 A in 3D printed moulds - CraftBot Plus from polylactic acid (PLA) material. The output force developed by each actuator variant as a function of the applied input pressure was monitored using Chatillon DFE 2.5kN dynamometer. Also, to determine the kinematic behaviour of the actuator, the actuators were pressurized at a pressure of 50 kPa and the amplitude of motion of the segments was experimentally monitored.

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References


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