Fluid-Structure Interaction Modelling of a Soft Pneumatic Actuator

Duraikannan Maruthavanan,Josef Schlattmann,Arthur Seibel

doi:10.3390/act10070163

Abstract

This paper presents a fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation model of a soft pneumatic actuator (SPA). Previous research on modelling and simulation of SPAs mostly involves finite element modelling (FEM), in which the fluid pressure is considered as pressure load uniformly acting on the internal walls of the actuator. However, FEM modelling does not capture the physics of the fluid flow inside an SPA. An accurate modelling of the physical behaviour of an SPA requires a two-way FSI analysis that captures and transfers information from fluid to solid and vice versa. Furthermore, the investigation of the fluid flow inside the flow channels and chambers of the actuator are vital for an understanding of the fluid energy distribution and the prediction of the actuator performance. The FSI modelling is implemented on a typical SPA and the flow behaviour inside the actuator is presented. Moreover, the bending behaviour of the SPA from the FSI simulation results is compared with a corresponding FEM simulation.

Highlights

Soft robots are made of soft and compliant materials, providing multiple degrees of freedom, and, unlike traditional robots that are made of rigid bodies, soft robots provide a safe environment for human-robot interaction [1,2]
Soft robots are capable of performing diverse actions such as grasping and manipulation, locomotion, squeezing, climbing, jumping, and growing [1]
To the authors’ knowledge, a fully coupled 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis on a soft pneumatic actuator (SPA) has not been proposed yet, and no investigation has been done on the flow behaviour inside the actuator. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a two-way FSI simulation model of a PneuNets actuator, implemented in the commercial finite element modelling (FEM) software COMSOL Multiphysics

Summary

Introduction

Soft robots are made of soft and compliant materials, providing multiple degrees of freedom, and, unlike traditional robots that are made of rigid bodies, soft robots provide a safe environment for human-robot interaction [1,2]. They are predominantly inspired from natural systems and are operated at relatively low cost. Soft robots are capable of performing diverse actions such as grasping and manipulation, locomotion, squeezing, climbing, jumping, and growing [1]. They can be used for many applications in various fields. Their applications include exploration and rescue operations [11,12], gripping and manipulation of fragile and/or unknown objects [13], human-machine interfaces [14], and unmanned underwater vehicles [15]

Methods

Results

Conclusion