An innovative pneumatic soft actuator using staple fibers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21948
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 20:Mechanical dynamics, robotics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Chuo University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Taro 中央大学, 理工学部, 教授 (50315644)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 空気圧ゴム人工筋肉 / 短繊維 / 強度異方性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a short-fiber rubber sheet with mechanical anisotropy by orienting short fibers in only one direction. Furthermore, a short-fiber reinforced soft actuator was developed using this rubber sheet.
First, the "wrapping method" was proposed as a method to orient the short fibers. Anisotropic stiffness of the rubber sheet was experimentally investigated. As a result, it was confirmed that the performance was sufficient for application to soft actuators.
Furthermore, contraction and extension type soft actuators were developed using these sheets, and their usefulness was demonstrated by experiments.

Free Research Field

ロボティクス・設計工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人間の筋肉のように柔軟軽量で大きな出力が期待できる空気圧ソフトアクチュエータを安価で安定的に製造するために、母材(ゴム)内において短い繊維を一方向に配向させた構造を持つゴムシートの作成手法を確立した。さらに本ゴムシートを用いて短繊維型ソフトアクチュエータを作成し、実験によりその有効性を確認した。