Paper-based Pneumatic Locomotive Robot with Sticky Actuator

Abstract

Abstract. Demands for small-scale and low-cost robots have witnessed a great increase in recent years [1][2][3][4][5]. This paper introduces the design and fabrication of a novel, simple, low-cost and designer-friendly locomotive robot. The materials and tools to build the robot originate from everyday life. The robot is pneumatically powered and manually controlled by simply pumping and vacuuming the syringe repeatedly, which realizes reliable locomotion by folding and opening of the planes. In order to realize this complicated motion, a "3D Sticky Actuator" is developed. The motion and force analysis of actuator are then modelled by the numerical method to develop the relations between design parameters. This suggests a systematic and user interactive way of manufacturing various shapes of the actuator, depending on user-defined road condition (e.g. obstacles and slopes) and other constraints. One key advantage of the paper-based robot is suggested by its high feasibility.

Paper-Based Robotics with Stackable Pneumatic Actuators

“…Like conventional rigid robots, origami and kirigami robots can perform fundamental tasks such as walking, crawling, grasping, and manipulating objects. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Despite using nonstretchable paper-like materials, these origami and kirigami robots enable motions with large amplitudes using highly deformable structures. These robots are comparable to elastomer-based soft robots, adaptable to their surroundings, and similar in their movements to some living organisms, such as a worm and an octopus.…”

“…Elastomer-based actuators have multiple modes of operation, including bending, extension, twisting, and rotation [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] ; origami/kirigami-based actuators accomplished similar modes through using highly deformable structures. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]40,41 However, current origami and kirigami actuators may have limited output force and power. The power-to-mass ratios (PMRs) of many state-of-the-art pneumatic, elastomer-based actuators are several kW/kg at modest pressure (hundreds of kPa), 42 while only a few origami actuators with airtight layers in previous studies approached this level.…”

Soft Robotics: Fluid-Driven Self-Folding Papers

“…Many self-folding techniques have been developed by using hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, thermal or magnetic actuation [8][9][10][11]. Among those techniques, paper-based soft robotics is the most underdeveloped [12][13][14]. Even so, excitement is building, as paper possesses unique properties such as low cost, flexible, foldable, eco-friendly, and easily designable.…”