Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications
In this thesis, we present a generalized modeling tool for predicting the output force profile of vacuum-powered soft actuators using a simplified geometrical approach and the principle of virtual work. Previous work has derived analytical formulas to model the force-contraction profile of specific...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139481 |
| _version_ | 1811068994136834048 |
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| author | Gollob, Samuel Dutra |
| author2 | Roche, Ellen |
| author_facet | Roche, Ellen Gollob, Samuel Dutra |
| author_sort | Gollob, Samuel Dutra |
| collection | MIT |
| description | In this thesis, we present a generalized modeling tool for predicting the output force profile of vacuum-powered soft actuators using a simplified geometrical approach and the principle of virtual work. Previous work has derived analytical formulas to model the force-contraction profile of specific actuators. To enhance the versatility and the efficiency of the modelling process we propose a generalized numerical algorithm based purely on geometrical inputs, which can be tailored to the desired actuator, to estimate its force-contraction profile quickly and for any combination of varying geometrical parameters. We identify a class of linearly contracting vacuum actuators that consists of a polymeric skin guided by a rigid skeleton and apply our model to two such actuators - vacuum bellows and Fluid-driven Origami-inspired Artificial Muscles (FOAMs) - to demonstrate the versatility of our model. We perform experiments to validate that our model can predict the force profile of the actuators using its geometric principles, modularly combined with design-specific external adjustment factors. Our framework can be used as a versatile design tool that allows users to perform parametric studies and rapidly and efficiently tune actuator dimensions to produce a force-contraction profile to meet their needs, and as a pre-screening tool to obviate the need for multiple rounds of time-intensive actuator fabrication and testing.
The work presented here was published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI on 03 March 2021, “A Modular Geometrical Framework for Modelling the Force-Contraction Profile of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators,” by S. Gollob et al. Figures reproduced from this work are referenced following the journal's open-access Creative Commons practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:04:00Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/139481 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:04:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1394812022-01-15T04:09:55Z Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications Gollob, Samuel Dutra Roche, Ellen Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering In this thesis, we present a generalized modeling tool for predicting the output force profile of vacuum-powered soft actuators using a simplified geometrical approach and the principle of virtual work. Previous work has derived analytical formulas to model the force-contraction profile of specific actuators. To enhance the versatility and the efficiency of the modelling process we propose a generalized numerical algorithm based purely on geometrical inputs, which can be tailored to the desired actuator, to estimate its force-contraction profile quickly and for any combination of varying geometrical parameters. We identify a class of linearly contracting vacuum actuators that consists of a polymeric skin guided by a rigid skeleton and apply our model to two such actuators - vacuum bellows and Fluid-driven Origami-inspired Artificial Muscles (FOAMs) - to demonstrate the versatility of our model. We perform experiments to validate that our model can predict the force profile of the actuators using its geometric principles, modularly combined with design-specific external adjustment factors. Our framework can be used as a versatile design tool that allows users to perform parametric studies and rapidly and efficiently tune actuator dimensions to produce a force-contraction profile to meet their needs, and as a pre-screening tool to obviate the need for multiple rounds of time-intensive actuator fabrication and testing. The work presented here was published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI on 03 March 2021, “A Modular Geometrical Framework for Modelling the Force-Contraction Profile of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators,” by S. Gollob et al. Figures reproduced from this work are referenced following the journal's open-access Creative Commons practices. S.M. 2022-01-14T15:14:33Z 2022-01-14T15:14:33Z 2021-06 2021-06-30T15:23:50.578Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139481 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Gollob, Samuel Dutra Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title | Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title_full | Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title_fullStr | Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title_short | Generalizable Modelling of Vacuum-Powered Soft Actuators And Its Use in Design for Mechanical Assistive Applications |
| title_sort | generalizable modelling of vacuum powered soft actuators and its use in design for mechanical assistive applications |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139481 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gollobsamueldutra generalizablemodellingofvacuumpoweredsoftactuatorsanditsuseindesignformechanicalassistiveapplications |