Design and applications of soft actuators based on Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing

Compared with rigid robots, soft robots have the advantages of strong environmental adaptability, good human-robot interaction, and simple control systems; therefore, actuators been widely studied in recent years. Based on DLP 3D printing technology, this study makes three kinds pneumatic actuators: gripper auxetic structure, Elongation Bellow Actuator (EBA) Omnidirectional Bending (OBBA). Through experimental testing finite element simulation, it was found that these characteristics fast response, high stability large driving force. In paper, an out-pipe crawling robot robotic arm using are designed. The pipe can realize omnidirectional turning adapt to different shapes sizes pipes, a movement speed 2.85 mm/s (0.016 body length/s) 44 mm diameter round cross-section 2.67 (0.015 30 mm×30 square pipe. At same time, innovative motion mode is designed for underwater environment, which provides new ideas robots. And achieve bending specific range grasping work, compared arm, small size, low mass has higher degree freedom. Finally, by combining robot, paper proposes collaboration system simulates its function industrial pipeline systems, application prospects.