Abstract
This paper presents a novel silicone-based, millimeter-scale, bending fluidic actuator (BFA).Its unique parallel micro-channel design enables, for the first time, operation atlow working pressure while at the same time having a very limited thicknessexpansion during pressurization. It also enables the actuator to have the highest ratiosof angular displacement over length and torque over volume among previouslyproposed BFAs. In this work, this parallel micro-channel design is implemented byembedding the BFA with an innovative single winding conduit, which yields asimple, single-component configuration suitable for low-cost production and reliableperformance. The BFA design can be easily scaled down to smaller dimensionsand can be adapted to applications in restricted space, particularly minimallyinvasive surgery. In this work, the actuator is manufactured in TC-silicone throughpoly(methyl methacrylate) molds obtained by using laser cutting technology.Repeated angular displacement measurements on multiple prototypes havingdifferent stiffness are carried out. The experimental results are compared withan analytical model, which accurately predicts the performance of the device.
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