Design and Fabrication of Sensorized Soft Effectors for Modular Soft Robots

Abstract

Biomimicry is a field of study that involves imitating the designs and processes of nature to solve problems using manmade systems. Biomimicry offers an empathetic, interconnected understanding of how life works and where we fit in. In bio-inspired designs, the main challenge is to develop a sustainable and effective framework that can be used in the real world. Most of the soft robotic designs are state-of-the-art models that cannot be used in real sensing applications. In this research, we propose a sustainable sensor-integrated modular soft robot model that can be used for locomotion and gripping applications. This work presents the steps involved in modeling, designing, and fabricating soft and flexible end effectors that can be used for soft robots with integrated soft stretchable sensors. It also demonstrates the design methodology involved in modeling and simulating the proposed model for robots that would require effectors with increased functionalities.