Abstract
The rising interest in soft robotics, combined to the increasing applications in the space industry, leads to the development of novel lightweight and deployable robotic systems, that could be easily contained in a relatively small package to be deployed when required. The main challenges for soft robotic systems are the low force exertion and the control complexity. In this manuscript, a soft manipulator concept, having inflatable links, is introduced to face these issues. A prototype of the inflatable link is manufactured and statically characterized using a pseudo-rigid body model on varying inflation pressure. Moreover, the full robot model and algorithms for the load and pose estimation are presented. Finally, a control strategy, using inverse kinematics and an elastostatic approach, is developed. Experimental results provide input data for the control algorithm, and its validity domain is discussed on the basis of a simulation model. This preliminary analysis puts the basis of future advancements in building the robot prototype and developing dynamic models and robust control.
Highlights
Traditional robot manipulators are widely employed in industrial and structured environment
The design of soft manipulators can span along all the spectrum between totally soft and rigid structures, depending on the desired robot features: more degrees of freedom imply lower precision and the increase of the structural compliance reduces the force exertion [2]
A prototype of the inflatable link has been designed to have a cylindrical shape and good air pressure resistance. It consists in a soft cylindrical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated fabric, closed by two stiff PVC caps each of them secured by a seal and a metal band to ensure cohesion and avoiding air losses
Summary
Traditional robot manipulators are widely employed in industrial and structured environment. Space inflatable booms have high packaging ratio and are extremely lightweight compared to other deployable technologies, they have low deployment accuracy and post-development stability [7] For these observations, soft robotics can meet and resolve aerospace issues, developing inflatable deployable robotic manipulators, based on soft materials and variable stiffness bodies. Articulated manipulators can consist of inflatable links with rigid [9] or variable stiffness joints [10] and completely soft structures with soft joints [11], e.g., using pneumatic [12,13], or tendon-driven actuators [14]. This work lays the basis for the development of a lightweight and large size manipulator for space application, proposing a basis structure with two inflatable links and three degrees of freedom (DOF) that should be used to place a 3-dof wrist in a desired position. Experimental tests for the link manufacturing and characterization are shown, defining the limits and procedures for the assembly of the entire robot prototype
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
