High-Force Soft Printable Pneumatics for Soft Robotic Applications
High-Force Soft Printable Pneumatics for Soft Robotic Applications
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DOI：
10.1089/soro.2016.0030
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发表时间：
2016-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
7.9
通讯作者：
Yeow, Chen-Hua
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Yap, Hong Kai;Ng, Hui Yong;Yeow, Chen-Hua
这项工作提出了一种使用基于熔融沉积建模 (FDM) 技术的 3D 打印机直接 3D 打印软气动执行器的新技术。具有复杂内部几何形状的软气动执行器的现有制造技术通常非常耗时并且涉及多步骤过程。低成本开源消费级 3D 打印机和市售打印材料被确定用于打印具有复杂内部几何形状和高自由度的软气动执行器。我们研究了打印材料的材料特性，模拟了打印执行器的机械行为，表征了执行器的弯曲能力、输出力和耐用性等性能，并展示了 3D 打印执行器的潜在软机器人应用。使用 3D 打印执行器，我们开发了一种软夹具，能够以高支付重量比抓取和举起重物，这表明执行器能够施加很大的力。为了证明执行器实现复杂运动（例如双向弯曲运动）的能力，我们还开发了可穿戴的手部和腕部外骨骼，能够帮助手指弯曲和手腕屈伸。所提出的技术是使用 FDM 技术直接 3D 打印用于软机器人应用的气密软气动执行器的一流方法。
This work presents a novel technique for direct 3D printing of soft pneumatic actuators using 3D printers based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. Existing fabrication techniques for soft pneumatic actuators with complex inner geometry are normally time-consuming and involve multistep processes. A low-cost open-source consumer 3D printer and a commercially available printing material were identified for printing soft pneumatic actuators with complex inner geometry and high degree of freedom. We investigated the material properties of the printing material, simulated the mechanical behavior of the printed actuators, characterized the performances of the actuators in terms of their bending capability, output forces, as well as durability, and demonstrated the potential soft robotic applications of the 3D printed actuators. Using the 3D printed actuators, we developed a soft gripper that was able to grasp and lift heavy objects with high pay--to-weight ratio, which demonstrated that the actuators were able to apply high forces. To demonstrate the ability of the actuators to achieve complex movements, such as bidirectional bending movements, we also developed wearable hand and wrist exoskeletons that were able to assist finger flexion and wrist flexion-extension. The proposed technique is the first-in-class approach to directly 3D print airtight soft pneumatic actuators for soft robotic applications using FDM technology.