Design and Analysis of a Soft Actuator Based on Cable-Driven Method

Abstract

In order to improve the performance of soft actuators, a novel soft actuator is designed, which is driven by a cable. Firstly, the operating principle of this soft actuator is illustrated. Compared with the traditional soft actuators driven by cables, the new designed structure can achieve the forward and reverse bending movements, relying on a single flexible shaft. Secondly, with the help of silicone rubber and 3D printed molds, a fabrication process of the actuator is developed. Thirdly, to verify the bending property, the finite element method is proposed. Some key factors causing the problems of repeatability and hysteresis are analyzed with the results of simulation and experiments. Finally, the grasping tests are carried out, and the integrated soft robotic gripper demonstrates the ability of grasping objects in different shapes and sizes. Due to its high universality and flexibility, this soft actuator shows great potential in industrial manufacturing and medical equipment.

Keywords

soft actuator / cable-driven method / flexible shaft / finite element analysis / soft robotic gripper