Bidirectional Tether Less Soft Actuator with Expeditious Position Control Mechanism

Abstract

In this paper, we present a mechanism that can facilitate soft actuator position control, bidirectional actuation, and getting rid of tether/hose. We proposed a simplistic piston pump as a source of actuation fluid for driving fluidic soft actuators instead of the traditional compressor-based approach to establish an expeditious position control for soft actuators. We explored the conceptual design of a bi-directional soft actuator and the piston pump thoroughly and calculated design and operating parameters. Further, deriving the mathematical model for the proposed system in terms of the position of the piston inside the piston pump and the angular position of the soft actuator. Subsequently, we discuss potential applications of the proposed mechanism.