Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Evaluation of Spiral Pneumatic Rubber Actuator using Finite Element Analysis for Radial Transportation

Version 1 : Received: 21 April 2023 / Approved: 21 April 2023 / Online: 21 April 2023 (10:43:13 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Jang, Y.; Nabae, H.; Suzumori, K. Evaluation of Spiral Pneumatic Rubber Actuator Using Finite Element Analysis for Radial Transportation. Actuators 2023, 12, 205. Jang, Y.; Nabae, H.; Suzumori, K. Evaluation of Spiral Pneumatic Rubber Actuator Using Finite Element Analysis for Radial Transportation. Actuators 2023, 12, 205.

Abstract

Emerging soft actuators with various soft materials and traveling-wave motion have been frequently discussed. Various configurations and the resulting performances have been proposed, and it is very challenging for soft actuators in realizing large strokes. This study presents an experimentally validated nonlinear finite element model to predict the deformation produced by a spiral pneumatic rubber actuator to generate traveling-wave motion. The actuator consists of a membrane mounted on a rubber substrate with three air chambers in a spiral configuration, simplifying the actuator's structure. The sequential deformations of the successive chambers interact with each other and produce radial traveling-waves on the membrane surface, driving the objects placed on the actuator. Finite element analysis using ANSYS computer software analyzed the elastic movement by considering the influence of different initial structural types. The structure with three different length ratios was introduced using the four parameters: membrane thickness, chamber width, chamber depth, and wall thickness. The simulation results indicated an optimal structure with specific ratios. A reasonable correlation was obtained during experimental validation; the predicted displacement values were approximately 17% smaller than the experimental values. Finally, the transportation performance of the prototype was tested and a velocity of 2.28 mm/s in the desired direction was achieved. We expect that our demonstration will expand the range of applications of the spiral pneumatic rubber actuator to include conveying or worm-like robots.

Keywords

Soft Robotics; Soft Pneumatic Actuators; Spiral Structural; Finite Element Analysis

Subject

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.