Cable-driven actuators are widely studied and utilized in soft robotics, and cable-driven is a traditional, advanced, and practical driving method. While limited by the uniaxial force transfer of the driving cable in previous researches, the cable-driven actuator can only bend in a two-dimensional (2D) plane. To further expand their scope of utilization, a new design scheme of an actuator is proposed to realize the transition from 2D bending to three-dimensional motion. A zigzag cable routing (ZCR) mode is presented to improve the helical motion. Compared with the straight cable routing mode, the ZCR actuator has better smooth movement characteristics and expanded functionality. Furthermore, we experimentally investigated the contact force and holding ability. The results show that the contact force is evenly acting on the cylinder target, and the grab weight is greater than 1950 g.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
KimS, LaschiC, TrimmerB. Soft robotics: a bioinspired evolution in robotics. Trends Biotechnol, 2013; 31:23–30.
2.
RusD, TolleyMT. Design, fabrication and control of soft robots. Nature, 2015; 521:467–475.
3.
LaschiC, MazzolaiB, CianchettiM. Soft robotics: technologies and systems pushing the boundaries of robot abilities. Sci Robot, 2016; 1:eaah3690.
4.
WhitesidesGM. Soft robotics. Angew Chem Int Ed, 2018; 57:4258–4273.
5.
CaseJC, WhiteEL, KramerRK. Soft material characterization for robotic applications. Soft Robot, 2015; 2:80–87.
6.
GardanJ. Smart materials in additive manufacturing: state of the art and trends. Virtual Phys Prototyping, 2019; 14:1–18.
7.
WallinTJ, PikulJ, ShepherdRF. 3D printing of soft robotic systems. Nat Rev Mater, 2018; 3:84–100.
8.
Soreni-HarariM, St PierreR, McCueC, et al.Multimaterial 3D printing for microrobotic mechanisms. Soft Robot, 2020; 7:59–67.
9.
RafieeM, FarahaniRD, TherriaultD. Multi-material 3D and 4D printing: a survey. Adv Sci, 2020; 7:1902307.
10.
LangowskiJKA, SharmaP, ShoushtariAL. In the soft grip of nature. Sci Robot, 2020; 5:eabd9120.
11.
CafollaD, CeccarelliM, WangMF, et al.3D printing for feasibility check of mechanism design. Int J Mech Control, 2016; 17:3–12.
12.
StanoG, PercocoG. Additive manufacturing aimed to soft robots fabrication: a review. Extreme Mech Lett, 2021; 42:101079.
13.
KastorN, MukherjeeR, CohenE, et al.Design and manufacturing of tendon-driven soft foam robots. Robotica, 2020; 38:88–105.
14.
LinJ and LaiKC. Virtual simulation and experimental verification for 3D-printed robot manipulators. Robotica, 2021; 39:367–377.
15.
MosadeghB, PolygerinosP, KeplingerC, et al.Pneumatic networks for soft robotics that actuate rapidly. Adv Funct Mater, 2014; 24:2163–2170.
16.
RodrigueH, WangW, HanMW, et al.An overview of shape memory alloy-coupled actuators and robots. Soft Robot, 2017; 4:3–15.
17.
LaschiC, CianchettiM, MazzolaiB, et al.Soft robot arm inspired by the octopus. Adv Robotics, 2012; 26:709–727.
18.
SheY, ChenJ, ShiHL, et al.Modeling and validation of a novel bending actuator for soft robotics applications. Soft Robot, 2016; 3:71–81.
19.
AkbariS, SakhaeiAH, PanjwaniS, et al.Multimaterial 3D printed soft actuators powered by shape memory alloy wires. Sensor Actuators A, 2019; 290:177–189.
20.
ChenFF, WangMY, ZhuJ, et al.Interactions between dielectric elastomer actuators and soft bodies. Soft Robot, 2016; 3:161–169.
21.
TanN, GuXY, RenHL. Design, characterization and applications of a novel soft actuator driven by flexible shafts. Mech Mach Theory, 2018; 122:197–218.
OdhnerLU, JentoftLP, ClaffeeMR, et al.A compliant, underactuated hand for robust manipulation. Int J Robot Res, 2014; 33:736–752.
24.
MaRR, DollarAM. Yale OpenHand project optimizing open-source hand designs for ease of fabrication and adoption. IEEE Robot Autom Mag, 2017; 24:32–40.
25.
InH, KangBB, SinM, et al.Exo-Glove a wearable robot for the hand with a soft tendon routing system. IEEE Robot Autom Mag, 2015; 22:97–105.
26.
KangBB, ChoiH, LeeH, et al.Exo-Glove poly II: a polymer-based soft wearable robot for the hand with a tendon-driven actuation system. Soft Robot, 2019; 6:214–227.
27.
KimYJ, ChengSB, KimS, et al.A stiffness-adjustable hyperredundant manipulator using a variable neutral-line mechanism for minimally invasive surgery. IEEE Trans Robot, 2014; 30:282–395.
28.
GaffordJ, DingY, HarrisA, et al.Shape deposition manufacturing of a soft, atraumatic, and deployable surgical grasper. J Mech Robot, 2015; 7:021006.
29.
RateniG, CianchettiM, CiutiG, et al.Design and development of a soft robotic gripper for manipulation in minimally invasive surgery: a proof of concept. Meccanica, 2015; 50:2855–2863.
CalistiM, GiorelliM, LevyG, et al.An octopus-bioinspired solution to movement and manipulation for soft robots. Bioinspiration Biomimetics, 2011; 6:036002.
KorayemMH, YousefzadehM, TourajizadehH. Optimal control of a wheeled mobile cable-driven parallel robot ICaSbot with viscoelastic cables. Robotica, 2020; 38:1513–1537.
34.
MarwanQM, ChuaSC, KwekLC. Comprehensive review on reaching and grasping of objects in robotics. Robotica, 2021; 39:1849–1882.
35.
MantiM, HassanT, PassettiG, et al.A bioinspired soft robotic gripper for adaptable and effective grasping. Soft Robot, 2015; 2:107–116.
36.
MutluR, AliciG, PanhuisMIH, et al.3D printed flexure hinges for soft monolithic prosthetic fingers. Soft Robot, 2016; 3:120–133.
37.
YaoSJ, CeccarelliM, CarboneG, et al.Grasp configuration planning for a low-cost and easy-operation underactuated three-fingered robot hand. Mech Mach Theory, 2018; 129:51–69.
38.
Della SantinaC, ArapiV, AvertaG, et al.Learning from humans how to grasp: a data-driven architecture for autonomous grasping with anthropomorphic soft hands. IEEE Robot Autom Let, 2019; 4:1533–1540.
39.
MartinezRV, BranchJL, FishCR, et al.Robotic tentacles with three-dimensional mobility based on flexible elastomers. Adv Mater, 2013; 25:205–212.
40.
PolygerinosP, WangZ, OverveldeJTB, et al.Modeling of soft fiber-reinforced bending actuators. IEEE Trans Robot, 2015; 31:778–789.
41.
SunY, YapHK, LiangXQ, et al.Stiffness customization and patterning for property modulation of silicone-based soft pneumatic actuators. Soft Robot, 2017; 4:251–260.
42.
UppalapatiNK and KrishnanG. Towards pneumatic spiral grippers: modeling and design considerations. Soft Robot, 2018; 5:695–709.
43.
WangW, LiC, ChoM, et al.Soft tendril-inspired grippers: shape morphing of programmable polymer-paper bilayer composites. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2018; 10:10419–10427.
44.
HuWP and AliciG. Bioinspired three-dimensional-printed helical soft pneumatic actuators and their characterization. Soft Robot, 2020; 7:267–282.
45.
GallowayKC, BeckerKP, PhillipsB, et al.Soft robotic grippers for biological sampling on deep reefs. Soft Robot, 2016; 3:23–33.
46.
RosaliaL, AngBWK, and YeowRCH. Geometry-based customization of bending modalities for 3D-printed soft pneumatic actuators. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2018; 3:3489–3496.
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
