Double-layer pneumatic spiral soft body actuator with variable stiffness

Abstract

The invention discloses a double-layer pneumatic spiral soft body actuator with variable stiffness. The soft body actuator comprises a pneumatic soft body actuator body, an air guide pipe and a variable stiffness module. The air guide pipe is fixedly installed at the end of the pneumatic soft body actuator body, and the variable stiffness module is fixedly installed at the bottom of the pneumatic soft body actuator body. The soft body actuator is connected with an outer auxiliary device through the air guide pipe, the outer auxiliary device is used for providing and controlling the air pressure needed by spiral deformation of the soft body actuator, the soft body actuator is electrically connected with a temperature control device through the variable stiffness module, and the temperature control device is used for controlling the temperature influencing the stiffness of the soft body actuator. The variable stiffness module is more tightly attached to an object, various objects with complex surface shapes are grabbed through more flexible deformation of the spiral soft body actuator, and spiral grabbing, thin-stick-shaped object grabbing and the like are achieved.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a soft actuator in the field of soft actuators, in particular to a double-layer pneumatic helical soft actuator with variable stiffness. Background technique [0002] Most of traditional robots are made of rigid materials, whose shape cannot change, and have the characteristics of high precision. These robots are mostly used for industrialized and precise work. However, its structure is complex, it does not have the ability to be deformed, and its safety and adaptability are poor in the process of human-computer interaction, and its use is limited in some scenes with complex shapes and fragile objects. [0003] In recent years, with the development of advanced manufacturing technology and intelligent materials, soft robots have received extensive attention. Among them, soft grippers driven by air pressure are the most widely used. Pneumatic soft grippers are generally composed of multiple pneumatic actuators. The properties o...

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Problems solved by technology

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems of single grasping posture and limited load capacity of existing pneumatic soft actuators. The present invention proposes a double-layer pneumatic spiral soft actuator with variable stiffness. The helical deformation is realized under the drive of air pressure, which has greater mechanical output, and the grasping posture is more flexible. The variable stiffness module is based on the thermoplastic composite material to change the stiffness under the action of temperature, increasing the contact area with the object when grasping. Increase the adhesion between the actuator and the object to make the grip more firm, and the variable stiffness module composed of thermoplastic composite materials is small in size and light in weight

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