Soft and lightweight fabric enables powerful and high-range pneumatic actuation.

ABSTRACT: 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 grippe

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10096572 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature