A Compliant PneuNets Linear Actuator with Large Off-Axis Stiffness

Yi Jin, Haijun Su

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Soft pneumatic linear actuators are crucial elements in soft robots. Although those highly flexible and extensible actuators accelerate the development of soft robots, their inherent softness leads to significant disadvantages such as low load-carrying capacity and large motion error limit. In this paper, we propose a new class of soft pneumatic linear actuators with a compliant parallelogram mechanism as a backbone combined with Pneumatic network (PneuNets) bending actuators. The new actuator has flexibility in the motion direction while maintaining a higher stiffness in other directions. We derive the actuator’s pressure-displacement model by the Pseudo-rigid-body model and validate it by experiments and simulations. The stiffness measurement results show that the off-axis stiffness in the Y and Z directions are 188.327 and 5.469 times the in-axis stiffness, respectively. The proposed soft linear actuator design offers an alternative solution for enhancing the performance of soft robots.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of MSR-RoManSy 2024 - Combined IFToMM Symposium of RoManSy and USCToMM Symposium on Mechanical Systems and Robotics
EditorsPierre Larochelle, J. Michael McCarthy, Craig P. Lusk
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media B.V.
Pages53-65
Number of pages13
ISBN (Print)9783031606175
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes
EventJoint Mechanical Systems and Robotics and RoManSy Symposium, MSR-RoManSy 2024 - Saint Petersburg, United States
Duration: 22 May 202425 May 2024

Publication series

NameMechanisms and Machine Science
Volume159 MMS
ISSN (Print)2211-0984
ISSN (Electronic)2211-0992

Conference

ConferenceJoint Mechanical Systems and Robotics and RoManSy Symposium, MSR-RoManSy 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySaint Petersburg
Period22/05/2425/05/24

Keywords

  • Compliant mechanisms
  • Linear actuator
  • Pneumatic actuators
  • Soft robots

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