Design and Fabrication of a Low-Cost Silicone and Water-Based Soft Actuator with a High Load-to-Weight Ratio

Abstract

Traditional actuators, such as motors as well as hydraulic or pneumatic artificial muscles, demonstrate excessive noise, a heavy weight, and a large size, which limit their practical application in many areas. Therefore, for many decades, scientists have worked to develop new types of silent, small, and light actuators. In this article, a novel soft actuator (actuator 3 ) with a high load-to-weight ratio from silicone and a low-boiling liquid (ethanol: actuator 3E or water: actuator 3W ) is presented and is compared with two actuators (actuator 1 and actuator 2 ) fabricated according to a method described in the literature. Compared with actuator 1 and actuator 2 , actuator 3 shows a larger volume expansion, output force, and load-to-weight ratio when heated. Owing to the weaker stability and repeatability of actuator 3E , many different kinds of applications based on actuator 3W are proposed, such as robotic hands and underwater rolling robots with color variations. The experimental results demonstrate that the method proposed in this article may be a viable alternative for fabricating low-cost soft actuators with high load-to-weight ratios that can be useful for future applications of soft robots.

Soft Robotics: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

“…Cheng et al proposed a manipulator based on SMA actuators that has nine degrees of freedom and closed-loop control that employs gyroscope and accelerometer modules [ 60 ] or manipulators driven by SMA coils and Hall sensors [ 61 ]. Li et al proposed an SMA-driven manipulator position control method based on fuzzy delay algorithms to increase manipulator accuracy due to the nonlinear hysteretic behavior of SMAs [ 62 ]. Jizhuang et al approached the control of the frog robot through an open-loop control system that connected an HC-12 module to the robot microcontroller, which allowed the robot to be controlled from a PC.…”

Optimization of Phase-Change Material–Elastomer Composite and Integration in Kirigami-Inspired Voxel-Based Actuators

“…As PCMEC actuators, these designs allow remote actuation to avoid the need of a pressure source, but remain subject to leaks. Ethanol Han et al (2019) , Chellattoan et al (2020) , Kang et al (2070) , water Li J. et al (2020) , FC-72 (3M™ Fluorinert™ Electronic Liquid FC-72) Matsuoka et al (2016) , acetone Chellattoan et al (2020) , or Novec ( Boyvat et al, 2019 ; Narumi et al, 2020 ; Ueno and Monnai, 2020 ) was reported.…”

“…Several functional structures have been build using PCMECs, from simple bilayer Miriyev et al (2018a) , Li J. et al (2020) to piston-like Miriyev et al (2017) , Miriyev et al (2018b) and McKibben-like Miriyev et al (2017) , Bilodeau (2018) artificial muscles. Other original designs have been demonstrated to build PCMEC actuators capable of locomotion ( Li X. et al, 2020 ; Noguchi and Tsumori, 2020 ).…”

“…Moreover, the lack of a consistent design approach limits the possibility to build PCMEC-based soft robots able to achieve complex tasks. Only bilayer Miriyev et al (2018a) , Li J. et al (2020) , piston-like ( Miriyev et al (2017) , Miriyev et al (2018b) , and McKibben-like Miriyev et al (2017) , Bilodeau (2018) configurations have been demonstrated so far.…”

Ethanol Phase Change Actuator Based on Thermally Conductive Material for Fast Cycle Actuation

“…Some recent actuators use entrained liquid vesicles or films to form an expanded cavity for actuation [ 30 , 31 ]. Electrically triggered deformation of soft elastic films using liquid-gas conversion of liquids has been reported to exhibit large area expansion [ 32 ]. Aslan and colleagues reported ethanol-gas phase transition composites with 900% expansion and correspondingly high stress (up to 1.3 MPa) and low density (0.84 g/cm 3 ).…”