R3VAMPs - Fully Recyclable, Reconfigurable, and Recoverable Vacuum Actuated Muscle-inspired Pneumatic structures

Abstract

We present a version of Vacuum Actuated Muscle-Inspired Pneumatic structures (VAMPs) that is entirely constructed of polypropylene to be of potential use in medical, or other single use applications where contamination may occur and where the full lifecycle is considered so that many aspects are recoverable, reusable or otherwise use minimal materials. We title these actuators Recyclable, Reconfigurable and Recoverable VAMPs (R3VAMPs). A traditional material for soft robotics like silicone rubber can last for thousands or millions of actuation cycles, but if it was damaged or otherwise contaminated in a way that prevented easy cleaning it is not easily recyclable or recoverable, and that would be extremely financially and environmentally costly. By constructing our soft robotic structure entirely out of polypropylene, the system may be manufactured from recycled materials and/or recycled after use if needed, without costly material separation requirements. The material costs for soft actuators can be as little as $0.25 and the mechanical design and assembly process can allow the basic system to operate as a joint, a muscle or a bone by combining vacuum operation and variable sleeve properties to actuate or jam the R3VAMPs for different behaviors. As such, this solution provides an extremely low cost and more environmentally benign option to introduce soft robotics into single or few use applications because the system has been designed explicitly with the disposal and recovery requirements in mind.