In context
Underwater manipulators are essential for tasks such as benthic sampling and archaeological salvage, yet existing rigid hands often suffer from poor coupling safety, weak adaptability, and unstable grasping. Soft robotics offered a promising alternative, but prior designs faced issues like excessive bending and slippage.
What was reported
Researchers proposed a bionic soft actuator with a compound cavity and sealed tube structure, leading to a three-finger enveloping soft hand. The design combines retaining and bending cavities to balance grip force and curvature, while bionic fingerprints and fingernails enhance friction and ground grasping. The sealed tube improves deep-water pressure resistance.
Using Yeoh-model finite element analysis, injection molding, and 3D printing, the hand was optimized and fabricated with Wacker LR3003 silicone, chosen for its high strain and strength. A precision hydraulic drive system was developed to improve coupling stability.
Experiments showed a longitudinal grasping force of 26 N and a driving depth of 3000 m, surpassing existing underwater soft hands. Tests demonstrated stable grasping, better adaptability, and safety compared to rigid hands, making it suitable for non-destructive underwater object retrieval.
Why it mattered
This work addressed key limitations in underwater soft manipulation, offering a robust solution for delicate tasks in deep-sea environments. The combination of structural innovation and material selection could influence future designs in marine robotics and industrial underwater automation.
The elasticity of the silica gel material and the compressibility of the fluid can ensure the non-destructive grasping of the target.
Source: 《机器人》期刊 (robot.sia.cn) · Published 2023-03-11 · “面向水下抓取作业的复合腔体仿生软体手设计”