Increasing Payload Capacity of a Continuum Soft Robot Using Bio-Inspired Ossicle Reinforcement

Soft continuum robots, characterized by their dexterous and compliant nature, often face limitations due to buckling under small loads. This study explores the enhancement of axial performance in soft robots intrinsically actuated with extensile fluidic artificial muscles (EFAMs) through the incorpo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Actuators 2024-07, Vol.13 (7), p.265
Main Authors: Garbulinski, Jacek, Balasankula, Sai C., Wereley, Norman M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
artificial muscle
Artificial muscles
bio-inspiration
Buckling
Columns (structural)
continuum robot
Design optimization
Flexibility
Load
Performance enhancement
pneumatic artificial muscles
Robotics
Robots
soft actuator
soft robot
Soft robotics
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Summary:Soft continuum robots, characterized by their dexterous and compliant nature, often face limitations due to buckling under small loads. This study explores the enhancement of axial performance in soft robots intrinsically actuated with extensile fluidic artificial muscles (EFAMs) through the incorporation of bio-inspired radial supports, or ossicles. By conducting quasi-static force response experiments under varying pressure conditions (103.4–517.1 kPa), and a modified Euler column buckling model, we demonstrate that ossicles significantly increase the robots’ resistance to buckling, thereby extending their application scope in payload-carrying tasks. These findings not only underscore the effectiveness of ossicle reinforcement in improving structural robustness but also pave the way for future research to optimize soft robot design for enhanced performance.
ISSN:2076-0825
2076-0825
DOI:10.3390/act13070265