A team of researchers from the Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia has developed a new pleat-based soft robotic actuator that can be used in a variety of sizes, down to just 1 centimeter.

Figure 1: Soft robotic actuatorused in a variety of sizes.

Figure 1 shows thatEngineers working on soft robotics projects have often been limited by standard pneumatic artificial muscle actuators, which tend to only work well at a certain size due to the large number of complex parts. In this new effort, the researchers have added a new feature to such actuators that requires fewer parts, resulting in a smaller actuator. [1]

Pneumatic synthetic muscle actuators work by pumping air out and in of small balloon-like sacs, simulating muscle exercise. Not solely do they develop and contract, however they’re additionally bendable as a result of they’re made utilizing resins.

When used together with different components, comparable to palms, the unreal muscle tissue enables for gripping and twisting. To cut back the variety of complicated components, the researchers adjusted the sacs by added pleats.

This reduces the dimensions of the sacs as air is withdrawn without having so as to add different components, making them helpful in a lot smaller units. The researchers additionally used a resin that was extra versatile than these sometimes utilized in such work. [2]

They examined GRACE in several circumstances, based mostly totally on measurement. They constructed one actuator, for instance, that was just 1 cm throughout and one other one that weighed just 8 grams, added it to a grasper, and located it successful of lifting up to 8 kilograms.

They additionally constructed a robot hand sized to approximate a human hand utilizing 18 different-sized actuators. Testing confirmed it successful of bending its fingers, rotating on the wrist and twisting at its palm. [3]

References:

1. https://badpi.com/a-new-type-of-soft-robot-actuator-that-can-be-reduced-to-just-one-centimeter/
2. https://news8plus.com/a-new-type-of-soft-robotic-actuator-that-can-be-scaled-down-to-just-one-centimeter/
3. https://www.theblog101.com/a-new-type-of-soft-robotic-actuator-that-can-be-scaled-down-to-just-one-centimeter/

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), Researchers Developed a New Pleat-Based Soft Robotic Actuator, Anatechmaz, pp. 354