Design and Fabrication of a New Dual-Arm Soft Robotic Manipulator

Yaxi Wang,Qingsong Xu

doi:10.3390/act8010005

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of a dual-arm soft robotic manipulator. It consists of two soft manipulators, which are driven by pneumatic actuators. Each soft manipulator is composed of three soft modules, and each module includes three evenly distributed cavities inside. The flexible bending deformation of the soft module is produced by regulating the air pressure and changing the applying sequence to the cavities. The design and fabrication of the manipulator are presented in detail. The cooperation of the dual-arm soft robotic manipulator is implemented by adopting visual servo control. Experimental testing was carried out to demonstrate the manipulator performance. Unlike a single-arm manipulator, the robotic manipulator with dual arms features high flexibility, adaptability, and safety. The feasibility of the proposed dual-arm soft robotic manipulator is demonstrated by executing assembly tasks.

Highlights

95% of robots are applied in the industrial field [1]
Each manipulator arm is composed of three soft modules, which are connected in series
Each module manipulator arm is composed of three soft modules, which are connected in series

Summary

Introduction

With the development of modern industries, more and more robots have been adopted for use in other fields, such as surgery, reconnaissance, food picking, etc., increasing the market demand for soft robots. A soft robot was designed for use in minimally invasive surgery [2]. The robot’s manipulator is composed of multiple soft modules, which exhibit high flexibility and can be flexibly bent in human intestines. The end of the device is equipped with a surgical tool, which allows for non-invasive examination of the intestine or treatment owing to the high safety of the soft material. As compared with regular compliant mechanisms [3,4,5], soft robots exhibit more advantages in terms of flexibility, adaptability, and safety

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion