Design and Manufacture of Pneumatic Grid Actuator

To solve the problem of low stiffness of pneumatic grid actuator, a stiffness-enhanced pneumatic grid actuator is designed based on reinforcement structure. Starting from the constitutive model of silicone material, the bending deformation and end load force of actuator are studied by finite element analysis. In the production process, the die drawing of the actuator is designed, the die is made by 3D printing and the prototype of the actuator is made by silicone casting. Finally, the bending and load performance of the actuator is verified by building a test bench. The results show that the rigidity of the actuator is improved without changing the material, and the output force at the end of the actuator is about 1.7 times higher than that of the ordinary actuator, which lays a foundation for the design of the follow-up flexible manipulator.