Soft Robotics-Fingered Hand Based on Working Principle of Asymmetric Soft Actuator

Abstract

This study presents a prototype of the soft-fingered hand based on the operating principle of an asymmetric soft actuator, which is designed as a tube with the different thickness and stiffness of two sides and is activated by the pneumatic actuation. Based on such design, four soft fingers were fabricated from the silicone rubber material by using the molding method and then were assembled to the connectors and base to complete the soft-fingered hand. The ability of the proposed soft-fingered hand is validated by conducting the simulations and gripping experiments. The simulation and experimental results show that under the pneumatic activation, the soft fingers have a good bending deformation, and the proposed hand can grip several objects with different shapes, sizes, and weights.