Extensile Fluidic Artificial Muscles in Payload-Carrying Continuum Soft Robots

Abstract

Intrinsically actuated continuum soft robots merge the features of hyper-redundant and soft robots. The soft structure and redundancy allow the robots to conduct tasks in confined or unstructured environments. Extensile fluidic artificial muscles (EFAMs) can be used to construct soft actuated structures that feature large deformation and enable the robots to access large reachable workspaces. However, the soft robots’ low structural stiffness limits their ability to exert force or carry payloads. This dissertation aims to improve the continuum soft robot's spatial and payload-carrying performance. The work seeks to accomplish the following:

1. Compare multi-segment continuum robots to understand how the number of segments and robot geometry affect their spatial performance.2. Experimentally characterize and model EFAMs to close existing knowledge gaps in their axial and bending behaviors. 3. Investigate the impact of radial reinforcement on the payload-carrying ability of an EFAM robot. 4. Propose a modeling approach that captures the deformation of the robot under payloads.