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A herringbone soft pneu-net actuator for enhanced conformal gripping

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2021

Xinjie Zhang Open the ORCID record for Xinjie Zhang [Opens in a new window]  and
Ayobami Elisha Oseyemi
Xinjie Zhang*
Affiliation:
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, 213022, China School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
Ayobami Elisha Oseyemi
Affiliation:
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, 213022, China
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: xj.zhang@hhu.edu.cn
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Abstract

Advances in material science in recent years have had such a tremendous impact on the field of soft robotics that has fostered the development of many bio-inspired devices. One such device, which has been subject to extensive study in recent times, is soft pneumatic-network (pneu-net) actuators (SPAs). In this study, we present a new SPA structure whose chamber configuration mimics the fish bone (herringbone) structure to facilitate simultaneous bending deformations in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Such as cannot be obtained from the regular pneu-net structure – which bends only lengthwise, the coupled bending curvatures allow for gripping with maximized contact area, a property which facilitates firmness, security, and stability in gripping. Using the corresponding chamber inclination angle of the configuration as key parameter, the combined transverse and longitudinal deformation feature is studied through finite element simulation as well as experiments. Also, the functional behavior of the actuator/gripper prototypes is experimentally investigated using a series of approaches including blocked (or tip) force test, grip strength test, and stability (or sustained grasping force) test. Furthermore, the viability of the said conformal gripping characteristic is demonstrated by subjecting the structure to a couple of gripping tests. This utility-enhancing design approach could really guide into the development of more sophisticated application-custom soft robotic capabilities.

Keywords

soft roboticspneumatic actuatorsfinite element analysissoft grippersherringbone
Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , May 2022 , pp. 1345 - 1360
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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