Modeling of Fiber-Reinforced Cylindrical Sector Soft Actuators by Finite Element Method

In recent years, many researchers have been focusing on the different novel techniques in designing fiber-reinforced actuators (FRA) that can produce bending motion. This research presents a novel bending soft actuator design; fiber-reinforced cylindrical sector soft actuators (FCS). The FCS is consists of an elastomeric body, reinforcement fibers, and an inextensible layer. The nonlinear finite element method predicts the behavior of semicircle and third FCS by altering fiber angle and elastomeric body parameters. The simulation results are validated by experiment based on a rapid and efficient prototyping system using a CAD/CAM based elastomer molding process. The actuators work very well with smooth and soft motion. Finally, two ideas have been evaluated to use FCS in fabricating a unidirectional bending cylindrical actuator and multi-directional bending modules. The FCS enables us to design bending modules optimally and efficiently. Plus, the FCS is suitable to be applied for a unidirectional bending cylindrical actuator.