Design and Validation of Soft Sliding Actuator
Goal : This study presents the design and validation of a soft sliding stiffness structure with a soft-rigid layer sliding mechanism.
Summary The soft-rigid layer sliding mechanism of the structure is designed to achieve a wide range of stiffness while maintaining a compact form factor. The structure incorporates rigid retainer pieces within each layer, which allows for sliding within a hollow cuboid structure and enables modulation of stiffness.
An analytical model is presented to investigate the variations in stiffness resulting from the different sliding states. The stiffness characteristics of the structure were validated through both bench tests and human subject tests.
The gradual sliding of the structure’s layer resulted in an increase in stiffness, aligning with the analytical model’s predictions. Additionally, the human subject testing demonstrated an increase in stiffness.
Topic
- Designing Soft Sliding Actuator
- Developing Variable Stiffness Mechanism
- Preventing Ankle Sprains
Conference
- IEEE RAL Design and Validation of Soft Sliding Structure With Adjustable Stiffness for Ankle Sprain Prevention (2023)
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