Development of a 3D-Bendable soft Robotic Segment actuated by Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Abstract:
Soft robotic technology has the potential to improve safety in human-robot collaboration, as well as increasing the possibilities of using robots in unstructured environments. Our research presents a compact soft robotic arm segment, actuated by silicone-based rolled dielectric elastomer actuators (RDEAs), in combination with a central ball-joint, which features multi-directional bending. RDEAs utilize an electrostatic actuation principle and are well suited for this application due to their inherit compliance and high work density. We created a simplified model of the system employing an energybased approach, which supported the selection of suitable geometric parameters. The realized segment relies on PCBs as structural material and utilizes a custom, low friction ball joint. Experiments show a bending angle of up to 25 deg in all directions.