3D printing non-assembly compliant joints for soft robotics

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Zolfagharian, A., Lakhi, M., Ranjbar, S., Tadesse, Y. and Bodaghi, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-0707-944X, 2022. 3D printing non-assembly compliant joints for soft robotics. Results in Engineering, 15: 100558. ISSN 2590-1230

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2022.100558

Abstract

This paper investigates integrating non-assembly three-dimensional (3D)-printed joints and soft robotic muscles in order to make a tendon-driven robotic finger. A finger-type structure actuated by electro-thermal soft actuator mechanism is introduced, including a bio-inspired 3D-printed compliant joint. As an affordable but high-performance component, twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) is used to drive the system as an actuator. The Euler–Lagrangian method and a transfer function based on an electro-thermo-mechanical model are used to analyze finger joints. The compliant joints are non-assembly 3D-printed spiral springs with high customization capabilities incorporated into the model. The simulation analysis is conducted to elucidate how the electro-thermal muscle and the spiral spring joint properties influence the finger motion. The results reveal further understanding of the 3D-printed spiral spring joints effects on the behavior of the soft robotic limbs. The suggested method can be adapted and employed in a broad variety of medicinal and industrial applications.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Results in Engineering

Creators:

Zolfagharian, A., Lakhi, M., Ranjbar, S., Tadesse, Y. and Bodaghi, M.

Publisher:

Elsevier BV

Date:

September 2022

Volume:

ISSN: