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Modular Soft Robotic Crawlers Based on Fluidic Prestressed Composite Actuators

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Abstract

Soft robotic crawlers have limited payload capacity and crawling speed. This study proposes a high-performance inchworm-like modular robotic crawler based on fluidic prestressed composite (FPC) actuators. The FPC actuator is precurved and a pneumatic source is used to flatten it, requiring no energy cost to maintain the equilibrium curved shape. Pressurizing and depressurizing the actuators generate alternating stretching and bending motions of the actuators, achieving the crawling motion of the robotic crawler. Multi-modal locomotion (crawling, turning, and pipe climbing) is achieved by modular reconfiguration and gait design. An analytical kinematic model is proposed to characterize the quasi-static curvature and step size of a single-module crawler. Multiple configurations of robotic crawlers are fabricated to demonstrate the crawling ability of the proposed design. A set of systematic experiments are set up and conducted to understand how crawler responses vary as a function of FPC prestrains, input pressures, and actuation frequencies. As per the experiments, the maximum carrying load ratio (carrying load divided by robot weight) is found to be 22.32, and the highest crawling velocity is 3.02 body length (BL) per second (392 mm/s). Multi-modal capabilities are demonstrated by reconfiguring three soft crawlers, including a matrix crawler robot crawling in amphibious environments, and an inching crawler turning at an angular velocity of 2\(^\circ \)/s, as well as earthworm-like crawling robots climbing a 20\(^\circ \) inclination slope and pipe.

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Data Availability Statement

The data and materials that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 62203174 and the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project under Grant No. 202201010179.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 511442, China

    Zefeng Xu, Longya Xiao, Hongjie Jiang & Yitong Zhou

  2. School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Linkai Hu

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Correspondence to Hongjie Jiang or Yitong Zhou.

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Xu, Z., Hu, L., Xiao, L. et al. Modular Soft Robotic Crawlers Based on Fluidic Prestressed Composite Actuators. J Bionic Eng 21, 694–706 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-024-00487-6

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