Soft Robotics Actuators are flexible, compliant robotic components made from elastomers that can mimic the movement patterns of biological muscles, enabling them to interact safely with delicate objects or environments.
They address the need for robots that can safely interact with humans and delicate materials, such as in medical procedures or food processing, where traditional rigid robotic systems could cause harm or damage due to their inflexibility and high force capabilities.
These actuators use pneumatic or hydraulic inflation of chambered polymers to achieve non-linear motion. This allows for a range of movements that are more akin to human muscle actions and can provide gentle contact forces suitable for handling fragile objects without causing damage.
Manufacturing involves molding elastomers into complex shapes using molds. The process requires precise control over material composition and curing conditions to ensure the actuators have the desired mechanical properties.
The build process typically includes designing the actuator geometry, selecting appropriate polymers based on performance requirements, creating molds, injecting or casting the polymer into the mold, and then post-processing steps like curing and testing for functionality and durability.
Field units draw low hundreds of watts; fabrication is energy-intensive due to vacuum baking and precise molding processes.
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