Design and motion characterisation of fibre-reinforced soft actuator

Wong, Min Yee (2021) Design and motion characterisation of fibre-reinforced soft actuator. Project Report. Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

In the recent years, there has been a rise in the need for a solution to the injuries of users caused by conventional rigid actuators. Conventional robots made of moving mechanical parts actuated by hard conventional actuators are unsafe for human. Due to their hard, physical characteristics, they are also hard to be implemented in different environments especially in an unstructured environment. Hence, soft actuators were introduced in order to solve these problems. Soft actuators have a wide range of application, but the problem is to control the motion. The objectives of this project are to design fibre-reinforced soft actuator for linear motion performance, to optimise the design by varying the actuator parameters using FEM Analysis and to characterise and analyse the best design for linear motion performance by evaluating the maximum extension. The soft actuator will only be simulated using the Abaqus software. Liquid silicone will be used as the main material of study for the soft actuator. The soft actuator will have several input pressures to analyse the performance in terms of extension only. The Fibre-reinforced Soft Actuator was designed using the Abaqus FEA software for linear motion performance. The design was optimised using the FEM Analysis and one of the optimised designs was chosen and optimised until the desired output was achieved. The designs were characterised and analysed with pressure from 0 to 0.01MPa. From Original design to R10 design, there is a 27.12% increase in extension. But from R10 to Optimised design, there is a reduction of 9.88%. However, it is still a 17.24% increase from the Original design. R10 design yields the highest extension. But, Optimised design is chosen for the final design as the unwanted bulging in R10 design is significantly reduced. A material with a higher stiffness was recommended for the Sheath. A controller can also be designed to control the elongation of the linear motion. A displacement sensor could be set up to measure the extension of the soft actuator when it is pressurised. The fibre angle could also be varied to analyse the motion output for a better control of the soft actuator.

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