An Optimization Design Method of Rigid-Flexible Soft Fingers Based on Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

The soft gripper has received extensive attention, due to its good adaptability and flexibility. The dielectric elastomer (DE) actuator as a flexible electroactive polymer that provides a new approach for soft grippers. However, they have the disadvantage of having a poor rigidity. Therefore, the optimization design method of a rigid-flexible soft finger is presented to improve the rigidity of the soft finger. We analyzed the interaction of the rigid and soft materials, using the finite element method (FEM), and researched the influence of the parameters (compression of the spring and pre-stretching ratio of the DE) on the bending angle. The optimal parameters were obtained using the FEM. We experimentally verified the accuracy of the proposed method. The maximum bending angle is 19.66 degrees. Compared with the theoretical result, the maximum error is 3.84%. Simultaneously, the soft gripper with three fingers can grasp various objects and the maximum grasping quality is 11.21 g.

Automated summary

This study proposes an optimization design method for a rigid-flexible soft finger to improve the poor rigidity of soft grippers. The interaction between rigid and soft materials is analyzed using the finite element method, and the influence of parameters on the bending angle is studied. The optimal parameters are obtained and experimentally verified, with a maximum bending angle of 19.66 degrees and a maximum error of 3.84%. The soft gripper with three fingers can grasp various objects, with a maximum grasping quality of 11.21 g.