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Reconfigurable constriction-based soft actuation for decorative morphing flowers

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Abstract

Most soft actuators producing joint-like deformations rely on the expansion of materials or on the use of multiple chambers in equilibrium while requiring additional structures for inter-connecting the joints. This paper introduces a new soft pneumatic actuator where a constriction placed on an inflatable tube allows the tube to bend around the constriction through the formation of a crease around the constriction. The bending of the tube then changes as the shape of the crease change under a change in pressure without relying on the expansion of the material. This results in an actuator that has a single chamber where multiple constrictions can be placed and freely re-arranged to form different structures as their insertion is nonpermanent. The constriction is also able to induce lateral bending deformations such that the actuator can assume a helical configuration using multiple constrictions spaced over the length of the actuator. The performance of different constriction designs in terms of bending angle without any payloads and with additional payloads is presented followed by their implementation in three different designs of morphing decorative flowers. The actuator itself does not produce a large force and its range of motion is quite limited, but it has a unique set of properties that make it ideal for visual and creative applications as well as educational purposes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning) (No. 2020R1A4 A1018227).

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Correspondence to Hugo Rodrigue.

Additional information

Diva Pradhan was born in Almora, India in 1998. She spent her earlier academic years in India and later came to South Korea for higher studies. She received her bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in 2021 as part of Korean Government Scholarship Program in Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). She holds interest in the field of biomimetics and its application. She is currently pursuing a masters in SKKU.

Haneol Lee was born in Daegu, South Korea in 1996. He received his B.Eng. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2018 from Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). His research interests are soft actuation and soft robotics. He is currently pursuing a combined M.S./Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from SKKU.

Hugo Rodrigue was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1985. He received his B.Eng. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2008 from McGill University, his M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering in 2010 from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, and his Ph.D. from Seoul National University in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2015. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea in the School of Mechanical Engineering. His research interests are soft actuation, smart materials, and soft robotics.

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Pradhan, D., Lee, H. & Rodrigue, H. Reconfigurable constriction-based soft actuation for decorative morphing flowers. J Mech Sci Technol 35, 3705–3712 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0739-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0739-1

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