A Low-Cost 3D-Printed Soft Pneumatic Actuator

Abstract

Soft actuators have recently gained popularity due to their advantages over rigid actuators, such as contact compliance, endurance against mechanical failure, and better compatibility for human-machine interaction. They enable robots to handle fragile objects safely and interact with their environments effectively. However, the production of cost-effective soft actuators is challenging due to the complex manufacturing procedures of complex actuator architecture. In this study, a custom-made 3D printer has been developed for printing flexible filaments to produce pneumatic silicone actuators. First, soft pneumatic actuators with programmable bending motions were designed, and this capability was characterized through FEM simulations using ANSYS Mechanical. Then, these actuators were 3D printed and tested under the same conditions used in simulations to validate their characteristics. The results showed that the simulations and actual experiments were in good agreement. In the future, we are planning to produce soft pneumatic robotic grippers by combining three of the proposed soft actuators.