Latest Papers

ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

  • Investigation on a Class of 2D Profile Amplified Stroke Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
    on September 24, 2024 at 12:00 am

    AbstractDielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have been widely studied in soft robotics due to their muscle-like movements. Linear DEAs are typically tensioned using compression springs with positive stiffness or weights directly attached to the flexible film of the DEA. In this paper, a novel class of 2D profile linear DEAs (butterfly- and X-shaped linear DEAs) with compact structure is introduced, which, employing negative-stiffness mechanisms, can largely increase the stroke of the actuators. Then, a dynamic model of the proposed amplified-stroke linear DEAs (ASL-DEAs) is developed and used to predict the actuator stroke. The fabrication process of linear DEAs is presented. This, using compliant joints, 3D-printed links, and dielectric elastomer, allows for rapid and affordable production. The experimental validation of the butterfly- and X-shaped linear DEAs proved capable of increasing the stroke up to 32.7% and 24.0%, respectively, compared with the conventional design employing springs and constant weights. Finally, the dynamic model is validated against the experimental data of stroke amplitude and output force; errors smaller than 10.5% for a large stroke amplitude (60% of maximum stroke) and 10.5% on the output force are observed.

Design of an Underactuated Finger Based on a Novel Nine-Bar Mechanism

Abstract

Elastic elements are commonly adopted to realize underactuation in the design of human-friendly prosthetic hands. The stiffness of these elastic elements, which is a key factor affecting the grasp performance of the underactuated finger, has not well addressed when considering both the stability and adaptability. In this study, an adaptive anthropomorphic finger that adopted a novel nine-bar mechanism is proposed. This nine-bar mechanism is integrated through a coupled four-bar mechanism and an adaptive seven-bar mechanism. The developed finger based on the nine-bar mechanism is able to improve the grasp stability in the global workspace under an extremely small spring stiffness. A quantitative analysis of the grasp stability was carried out. Comparative experiments on the grasps using the finger with/without adaptability were also performed. The results validated that our finger has a good stability when grasping the objects of different sizes.