Investigation of the performance of the elastomer-based soft robotic gripper produced by the bubble casting technique

Abstract

A soft robotic actuator was produced by the bubble casting technique, which is composed of elastomeric material. Investigations were conducted to determine how the viscosity of the liquid elastomer affected how the robotic actuator bent. The gripper's curvature, response time, and load-carying capacity were measured, and the relation between applied air pressure and these characteristics was examined. Moreover, the effect of environmental factors (dry, wet and oily) on the load-carrying capacity of the gripper was investigated. These findings demonstrate that as applied air pressure is increased, the gripper's response time, curvature, and load-carrying capacity all increase. For all applied pressures, the highest load-carrying capacity of the gripper was observed in a dry environment. The grippers load-carrying capacity in a dry environment was approximately 2.5 g, 3.5 g, and 5.9 g at pressures of 30 kPa, 35 kPa, and 40 kPa, respectively. By altering the waiting time, the elastomer's viscosity could be managed. The ideal waiting time was found to be between 3 and 4 minutes for optimal bending performance. If the soft robotic gripper is improved to achieve greater performance, it will be suitable for real-world applications. © 2024, Gumushane University. All rights reserved.