Soft buckling actuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850922-B2
Application number	US-201514685461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A soft actuator is described, including: a rotation center having a center of mass; a plurality of bucklable, elastic structural components each comprising a wall defining an axis along its longest dimension, the wall connected to the rotation center in a way that the axis is offset from the center of mass in a predetermined direction; and a plurality of cells each disposed between two adjacent bucklable, elastic structural components and configured for connection with a fluid inflation or deflation source; wherein upon the deflation of the cell, the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to buckle in the predetermined direction. A soft actuating device including a plurality of the soft actuators and methods of actuation using the soft actuator or soft actuating device disclosed herein are also described.

First claim

We claim:

1. A soft actuator, comprising:
a rotation center having a center of mass;
a plurality of bucklable, elastic structural components each comprising a wall defining an axis along its longest dimension, the wall connected to the rotation center in a way that the axis is offset from the center of mass in a predetermined direction; and
a plurality of cells each disposed between two adjacent bucklable, elastic structural components and configured for connection with a fluid inflation or deflation source;
wherein
upon the deflation of the cell, the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to buckle in the predetermined direction.

2. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein all of the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to bend clockwise.

3. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein all of the bucklable, elastic structural components are configured to bend counter-clockwise.

4. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the two or more bucklable, elastic structural components are located symmetrically around the rotation center.

5. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the soft actuator comprises 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more bucklable, elastic structural components.

6. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the wall defines the wall of the cells.

7. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the bucklable, elastic structural component is configured to buckle upon the deflation of the cell and return to its original position when the deflated cell is re-inflated.

8. The soft actuator of claim 1 , further comprising two or more secondary structural components structurally linked to the cell, wherein the secondary structural component is stiffer than the bucklable, elastic structural component and configured not to buckle before the bucklable, elastic structural component upon the deflation of the cell.

9. The soft actuator of claim 8 , wherein the bucklable, elastic structural component and the secondary structural component are two of the walls of the cell.

10. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the bucklable, elastic structural component is in the form of a pillar, level, beam or in an arc shape, a star sharp, or a diamond shape.

11. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the cell is in the shape of a rod, sphere, slit, triangular prisms, square prisms, or cylinder.

12. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the soft actuator comprises two or more cells connected to each other and configured for connection to the fluid inflation or deflation source but are otherwise isolated from the outside atmosphere.

13. The soft actuator of claim 12 , wherein the cell is connected to a fluid chamber configured for connection with the fluid inflation or deflation source.

14. The soft actuator of claim 12 , wherein the soft actuator comprises two or more cells configured for connection with the same fluid inflation or deflation source.

15. The soft actuator of claim 12 , wherein the soft actuator comprises two or more cells and at least two of the cells are connected to different fluid inflation or deflation sources.

16. The soft actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid inflation or deflation source, wherein the source is a gas pump, a gas vacuum, or a gas pump and vacuum.

17. The soft actuator of claim 1 , wherein the soft actuator further comprises a hard body portion.

18. The soft actuator of claim 17 , wherein the soft actuator is a robotic grabber, a robotic walker, or a robotic swimmer.

19. An actuating device comprising a combination of two or more soft actuators each according to claim 1 .

20. The actuating device of claim 19 , wherein each of the soft actuator is configured for connection with the same fluid or vacuum source or at least two of the soft actuators are configured for connection with different fluid or vacuum sources capable of being activated independently.

21. The actuating device of claim 19 , wherein the actuating device is an actuating array and each of the soft actuator is configured for connection with the same fluid or vacuum source.

22. A method of actuation, comprising:
providing the soft actuator of claim 1 ; and
deflating the cells or over-inflating the cells to cause the bucklable, elastic structural components to buckle and the rotation center to rotate.

23. A method of actuation, comprising:
providing the actuating device of claim 19 ; and
deflating the cells or over-inflating the cells of the plurality of the soft actuators to cause the bucklable, elastic structural components to buckle and the rotation centers to rotate.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the cells of the plurality of the soft actuators are deflated or over-inflated simultaneously or independently.

Assignees

• Harvard College

Inventors

• Yang Dian
• Whitesides George M

Classifications

• F15B15/103

  using inflatable bodies that contract when fluid pressure is applied, e.g. pneumatic artificial muscles or McKibben-type actuators · CPC title

• F15B15/10 Primary

  the motor being of diaphragm type · CPC title

• F15B15/02

  Mechanical layout characterised by the means for converting the movement of the fluid-actuated element into movement of the finally-operated member · CPC title