Harnessing Nonuniform Pressure Distributions in Soft Robotic Actuators

Abstract

Fluid-Driven Elastomer Actuators In article number 2200330, Kirstin H. Petersen and co-workers present fluidic actuators in which viscous fluids propagate in a scalable framework manifesting control of the structure by the structure, generating pressure distributions within each actuator - achieving interchangeable, spatio-temporal motions with a single inlet. Through theory and experiments, the article introduces the foundation of a design methodology, unlocking significantly more capable and competitive soft robots.