Machine-Knitted Seamless Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robotics: Design, Fabrication, and Characterization

Computerized machine knitting offers an attractive fabrication technology for incorporating wearable assistive devices into garments. In this work, we utilized, the first time, whole-garment techniques to manufacture a seamless fully knitted pneumatic bending actuator, which represents advancement existing cut-and-sew manufacturing techniques. Various parameters were investigated create anisotropic actuator structures, exhibited range of and extension motions when pressurized with air. The functionality was demonstrated through integration glove hand grip action. achieved curvature pressurizing actuators up 150 kPa sufficient grasp objects down 3 cm in diameter 125 g weight. This technique is rapid scalable, paving way mass-production customizable soft robotics wearables.