Transformable Pneumatic Balloon-Type Soft Robot Using Attachable Shells

Safe and convenient human-interactive robots are of great interests to support human life. A pneumatic balloon-type soft robot operated by air or water pressure has potential for soft and gentle interactions with humans. However, the device design often limits the actuation direction. If this motion can be readily tuned, one design can be used in different applications. This study proposes a transformable pneumatic balloon-type soft robot using attachable shells. The actuating direction can be tuned by the shell structure over a pneumatic balloon-based tube. The shells can be fabricated via a 3D printer using hard- or soft-materials. After characterizing the bending force and angle of the soft actuator, three robot applications are demonstrated-walking, grabbing a ball, and an octopus-like motion. Although the mechanical robustness, especially for soft shells, needs to be improved for practical applications, this concept has potential to realize innovative pneumatic balloon-based robotics.