Analysis of variable-stiffness soft finger joints

EasyChair Preprint 1294

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of designing an artificial finger with variable stiffness in its joints. Our approach is based on the principle of combining different means of actuation. Two different versions of variable-stiffness joints are presented and used in the design and manufacturing of three prototypes of gripper fingers. Diverse material configurations are used in order to determine which are the distinctive capabilities of each one and how they differ. In order to test the fingers we built a test bench that allows us to measure the movement of the tendon-driven actuation, the pressure of air actuation and the force that is deployed in the tip of the finger. Several tests are made to measure the relation between the actuation input and the force exerted by the fingertips. Our results suggest that the best mechanism to achieve variable stiffness in the joints is a soft-rigid hybrid finger.

Keyphrases: Grippers, Soft Robotics, variable stiffness

@booklet{EasyChair:1294,
  author    = {Daniel Cardin-Catalan and Angel Pascual del Pobil and Antonio Morales},
  title     = {Analysis of variable-stiffness soft finger joints},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 1294},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}