Simulation and development of a soft pneumatic robotic finger with variable stiffness
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Date
2024-03-07
Authors
Καραγιάννης, Κωνσταντίνος
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Abstract
In this thesis, a soft pneumatic robotic finger, that has the ability to change its stiffness is going to be simulated and later developed. This process begins with an extensive literature review, that leads to a methodical design process. A proposal for the soft finger emerges and a detailed design process ensues, where every dimension is defined along with choosing the materials and fabrication methods for the creation of a prototype. Using these details, the simulation is performed in finite element method software, that yields promising results. Based on these findings, the soft pneumatic finger is considered a successful design. The prototype is created in two stages, first as a test soft finger with limited functionality and later as the designed soft finger. The fabrication takes place using soft silicone poured in 3D-printed molds. The fabricated soft finger is put through a series of experiments to test the range of motion, the stiffening abilities, and the sensing capabilities of an integrated sensor in the fingertip. These results are later compared to the simulation results and conclusions are drawn on the accuracy of the simulated models. Future work could include the creation of a gripper using the proposed soft finger and more importantly the development of software control for the finger.
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Keywords
Soft robots, Pneumatic finger, Granular jamming, Variable stiffness, Simulation