Abstract
To precisely achieve a series of daily finger bending motions, a soft robotic finger corresponding to the anatomical range of each joint was designed in this study with multi-material pneumatic actuators. The actuator as a biomimetic artificial joint was developed on the basis of two composite materials of different shear modules, and the pneumatic bellows as expansion parts was restricted by frame that made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A simplified mathematical model was used for the bending mechanism description and provides guidance for the multi-material pneumatic actuator fabrication (e.g., stiffness and thickness) and structural design (e.g., cross length and chamber radius), as well as the control parameter optimization (e.g., the air pressure supply). An actuation pressure of over 70 kPa is required by the developed soft robotic finger to provide a full motion range (MCP = 36°, PIP = 114°, and DIP = 75°) for finger action mimicking. In conclusion, a multi-material pneumatic actuator was designed and developed for soft robotic finger application and theoretically and experimentally demonstrated its feasibility in finger action mimicking. This study explored the mechanical properties of the actuator and could provide evidence-based technical parameters for pneumatic robotic finger design and precise control of its dynamic air pressure dosages in mimicking actions. Thereby, the conclusion was supported by the results theoretically and experimentally, which also aligns with our aim to design and develop a multi-material pneumatic actuator as a biomimetic artificial joint for soft robotic finger application.
Highlights
Soft actuators have been widely applied in soft artificial muscles [1], soft gripper [2]and wearable rehabilitation [3] since they are compliant and intrinsically suited for contacting soft tissue [4]
This study found that the key parameters and the pressure supply directly affect the bending angle of the pneumatic bellows
This study proposed a multi-material pneumatic actuator based on simplified mathThis study proposed a multi-material pneumatic actuator based on simplified mathematical model for soft robotic finger application and theoretically and experimentally ematical model for soft robotic finger application and theoretically and experimentally demonstrate its feasibility in mimicking human finger motions
Summary
Soft actuators have been widely applied in soft artificial muscles [1], soft gripper [2]. Pressure-driven soft actuating materials rely on external pneumatic forces to spatially strain the actuator for working [15,16] This actuation scheme requires a stiffness gradient or a special structure design to generate anisotropic motions and more sophisticated deformations [17,18]. Anthropomorphic robotic digit used multi-materials to place on each joint of the finger, matching the bending of the natural skeletal structure and its inherent similarity to the human finger. This can potentially be applied in a wide range of fields, from automatic finger operation to healthcare robot exploration. Daily finger bending motions mimicking the trajectory of human fingers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
