Soft actuators hold great potential for applications in surgical operations, robotic manipulation, and prosthetic devices. However, they are limited by their structures, materials, and actuation methods, resulting in disadvantages in output force and dynamic response. This article introduces a soft pneumatic actuator capable of bending based on triangular prism origami. The origami creases are crafted by utilizing fabrics to gain swift response and fatigue-resistant properties. By connecting two actuators in series, combined motions including extension and diversified compound bending can be achieved, facilitating control in complex scenarios. After modularizing the soft actuator via mortise and tenon structures, several actuators can be programmed to execute a variety of intricate tasks by adjusting the timing sequences of their contraction and expansion. We showcase its applications in reconfigurable robots, and the results confirm that such a design is adequate for flexibly performing tasks such as soft gripping, navigational movement, and obstacle avoidance. These findings highlight the significance of our actuator in developing soft robots for versatile tasks.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BhatA, AmbroseJW, YeowRCH. Composite soft pneumatic actuators using 3D printed skins. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2023; 8(4):2086–2093.
2.
CuttilanAN, NatividadRF, YeowRCH. Fabric-based, pneumatic exosuit for lower-back support in manual-handling tasks. Actuators, 2023; 12(7):273.
3.
BhatA, JaipurkarSS, LowLT, et al.Reconfigurable soft pneumatic actuators using extensible fabric-based skins. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(5):923–936.
4.
CasagrandeG, IbrahimiM, SemproniF, et al.Hydraulic detrusor for artificial bladder active voiding. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):269–279.
5.
KazemiS, StommelM, ChengLK, et al.Finite-time contraction control of a ring-shaped soft pneumatic actuator mimicking gastric pathologic motility conditions. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):221–233.
6.
FilognaS, PaternòL, VecchiF, et al.A bioinspired fluid-filled soft linear actuator. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(3):454–466.
7.
JinT, LiL, WangT, et al.Origami-inspired soft actuators for stimulus perception and crawling robot applications. Ieee T Robot, 2022; 38(2).
8.
JinT, SunZ, LiL, et al.Triboelectric nanogenerator sensors for soft robotics aiming at digital twin applications. Nat Commun, 2020; 11(1):5381.
9.
MaK, JiangZ, GaoS, et al.Design and analysis of fiber-reinforced soft actuators for wearable hand rehabilitation device. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2022; 7(3):6115–6122.
WangR, ZhangC, TanW, et al.Electroactive polymer-based soft actuator with integrated functions of multi-degree-of-freedom motion and perception. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(1):119–128.
16.
XuJ, DongY, YangJ, et al.The soft ray-inspired robots actuated by solid-liquid interpenetrating silicone-based dielectric elastomer actuator. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):354–364.
17.
YangP, HuangB, MccoulD, et al.SpringWorm: A soft crawling robot with a large-range omnidirectional deformable rectangular spring for control rod drive mechanism inspection. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):280–291.
18.
QiuJ, JiA, ZhuK, et al.A gecko-inspired robot with a flexible spine driven by shape memory alloy springs. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(4):713–723.
19.
HuQ, LiJ, DongE, et al.Soft Scalable Crawling robots enabled by programmable origami and electrostatic adhesion. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2023; 8(4):2365–2372.
20.
TsaiTC, ChiangMH. A lower limb rehabilitation assistance training robot system driven by an innovative pneumatic artificial muscle system. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(1):1–16.
WanZ, SunY, QinY, et al.Design, analysis, and real-time simulation of a 3D soft robotic snake. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):258–268.
23.
ZhongY, TangW, XuH, et al.Phase-transforming mechanical metamaterials with dynamically controllable shape-locking performance. Natl Sci Rev, 2023; 10(9):nwad192.
24.
ZeQ, KuangX, WuS, et al.Magnetic shape memory polymers with integrated multifunctional shape manipulation. Adv.Mater, 2020; 32(4).
25.
YangSY, KimK, KoJU, et al.Design and control of lightweight bionic arm driven by soft twisted and coiled artificial muscles. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(1):17–29.
26.
YueY, WangQ, MaZ, et al.Neuron-inspired soft robot teams and their non-contact electric signal transmission based on electromagnetic induction. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(1):66–76.
27.
RichterM, KayaM, SikorskiJ, et al.Magnetic soft helical manipulators with local dipole interactions for flexibility and forces. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(3):647–659.
28.
TangW, ZhangC, ZhongY, et al.Customizing a self-healing soft pump for robot. Nat Commun, 2021; 12(1):2247.
29.
JiaoZ, ZhangC, RuanJ, et al.Re-foldable origami-inspired bidirectional twisting of artificial muscles reproduces biological motion. Cell Rep Phys Sci, 2021; 2(5).
30.
KaufmannJ, BhovadP, LiS. Harnessing the multistability of kresling origami for reconfigurable articulation in soft robotic arms. Soft Robot, 2022; 9(2):212–223.
ChenQ, FengF, LvP, et al.Origami spring-inspired shape morphing for flexible robotics. Soft Robot, 2022; 9(4):798–806.
33.
ChenWH, MisraS, GaoY, et al.A programmably compliant origami mechanism for dynamically dexterous robots. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2020; 5(2):2131–2137.
34.
LiY, HuangH, LiB. Design of a deployable continuum robot using elastic kirigami-origami. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2023; 8(12):8382–8389.
35.
LeeJG, RodrigueH. Armor-based stable force pneumatic artificial muscles for steady actuation properties. Soft Robot, 2022; 9(3):413–424.
36.
LeeJG, RodrigueH. Origami-based vacuum pneumatic artificial muscles with large contraction ratios. Soft Robot, 2019; 6(1):109–117.
37.
LiS, VogtDM, RusD, et al.Fluid-driven origami-inspired artificial muscles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2017; 114(50):13132–13137.
38.
JiaoZ, HuZ, ShiY, et al.Reprogrammable, intelligent soft origami LEGO coupling actuation, computation, and sensing. Innovation (Camb), 2024; 5(1):100549.
39.
JiaoZD, YeZQ, ZhuPA, et al.Self-sensing actuators with programmable actuation performances for soft robots. Sci China Technol Sci, 2023; 66(11):3070–3079.
40.
LiuS, ZhuY, ZhangZ, et al.Otariidae-inspired soft-robotic supernumerary flippers by fabric kirigami and origami. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron, 2021; 26(5):2747–2757.
41.
SantosoJ, OnalCD. An origami continuum robot capable of precise motion through torsionally stiff body and smooth inverse kinematics. Soft Robot, 2021; 8(4):371–386.
42.
LinY, YangG, LiangY, et al.Controllable stiffness origami “skeletons” for lightweight and multifunctional artificial muscles. Adv Funct Mater, 2020; 30(31).
YooS, KimJ, ParkJ, et al.Design and analysis of origami-based multimodal actuator capable of linear and bending motion. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2024; 9(1):151–158.
45.
SeoS, ParkW, LeeD, et al.Origami-structured actuating modules for upper limb support. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2021; 6(3):5239–5246.
46.
JiaoZ, ZhangC, RuanJ, et al.Re-foldable origami-inspired bidirectional twisting of artificial muscles reproduces biological motion. Cell Rep Phys Sci, 2021; 2(5):100407.
47.
JiaoZ, JiC, ZouJ, et al.Vacuum-powered soft pneumatic twisting actuators to empower new capabilities for soft robots. Adv Mater Technol, 2019; 4(1):1–10.
48.
JiaoZ, ZhuP, HuZ, et al.Flagellum-inspired soft rotary motor. Adv Mater Technol, 2023; 8(18):1–9.
ChenZ, TigheB, ZhaoJ. Origami-Inspired Modules Enable A reconfigurable robot with programmable shapes and motions. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron, 2022; 27(4):2016–2025.
58.
ZouJ, LinY, JiC, et al.A reconfigurable omnidirectional soft robot based on caterpillar locomotion. Soft Robot, 2018; 5(2):164–174.
59.
JiaoZ, ZhangC, WangW, et al.Advanced artificial muscle for flexible material-based reconfigurable soft robots. Adv. Sci, 2019; 6(21).
Supplementary Material
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.
