Laser Cutting as a Rapid Method for Fabricating Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots
Laser Cutting as a Rapid Method for Fabricating Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots
复制标题
DOI：
10.1089/soro.2017.0069
复制
发表时间：
2018-06-20
期刊：
影响因子：
7.9
通讯作者：
Mosadegh, Bobak
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Moghadam, Amir Ali Amiri;Alaie, Seyedhamidreza;Mosadegh, Bobak
气动软机器人解决了与精致物体连接的许多挑战，但这些执行器/机器人仍然体积庞大，需要很多时间来制造，限制了它们的广泛使用。本文报道了一种超薄软机器人和执行器（约 70m）的新颖设计和制造方法，该方法使用激光切割机从 2D CAD 图纸切割/焊接热塑性聚氨酯 (TPU) 片材。使用这种方法，设计、制造了五种不同的软执行器（例如弯曲、旋转、收缩），并对其进行了平面和非平面运动的表征。此外，我们还展示了如何堆叠多片 TPU 来快速制造多功能执行器。最后，设计并制造出便携式四臂游泳机器人，无需任何组装步骤。这种快速制造方法使软机器人能够在几分钟内从概念变为可操作，并创建了一个新的软机器人子类，适用于需要机器人超薄、轻量和/或适合小体积的应用。
Pneumatically actuated soft robots address many challenges with interfacing with delicate objects, but these actuators/robots are still bulky and require many hours to fabricate, limiting their widespread use. This article reports a novel design and manufacturing method for ultrathin soft robots and actuators (approximate to 70m) using a laser-cutting machine that cuts/welds sheets of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from a 2D CAD drawing. Using this method, five different soft actuators (e.g., bending, rotating, contracting) are designed, fabricated, and characterized with both planar and nonplanar motions. Furthermore, we show how stacking multiple sheets of TPU enables rapid fabrication of multifunctional actuators. Finally, a portable four-arm swimming robot is designed and fabricated without any assembly steps. This rapid fabrication method enables soft robots to go from concept to operational within minutes, and creates a new subclass of soft robots suitable for applications requiring a robot to be ultrathin, lightweight, and/or fit within small volumes.