LCLE: A Liquid-Cooled Laminar Electromagnet for a Soft Robotic Gripper and Heavy Object Grasping

Abstract

In this work, we introduce a compact and lightweight electromagnetic actuator designed to be part of a soft gripper to enable it to grasp heavy objects. To achieve this, we start by selecting the design parameters through multi-objective optimization using a genetic algorithm, and we implement a Liquid-Cooled Laminar Electromagnet (LCLE) that adapts its geometrical shape according to the type of cooling applied. Our primary criterion for selection is the force required to grip a 20-kilogram object. Next, we examine the variables affecting the LCLE's force, size, and temperature to explore the most effective way to cool it under high current conditions. We analyze the thermal behavior when the force-impregnation cooling technique is used to conduct experiments to validate its performance in high current conditions. We show the varying temperatures reached by altering the speed of the cooling fluid in the two LCLEs concerning their payload capacity. Finally, we conduct experiments when grasping a heavy object.