A Collapsible Soft Actuator Facilitates Performance in Constrained Environments
Abstract
Complex environments, such as those found in surgical and search‐and‐rescue applications, require soft devices to adapt to minimal space conditions without sacrificing the ability to complete dexterous tasks. Stacked balloon actuators (SBAs) are capable of large deformations despite folding nearly flat when deflated, making them ideal candidates for such applications. This paper presents the design, fabrication, modeling, and characterization of monolithic, inflatable, soft SBAs. Modeling is presented using analytical principles based on geometry and then using conventional and real‐time finite‐element methods. Both one and three degree‐of‐freedom (DoF) SBAs are fully characterized with regard to stroke, force, and workspace. Finally, three representative demonstrations show the SBA's small‐aperture navigation, bracing, and workspace‐enhancing capabilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 26, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1002/aisy.202200085
Entities
People
- Christian Duriez
- Jacob Rogatinsky
- Kevin McDonald
- Kiran Gomatam
- Lorenzo Kinnicutt
- Megan Lee
- Perry Thomson
- Tommaso Ranzani
- Zi Heng Lim
Organizations
- Boston University
- National Institutes of Health
- Office of Naval Research