Investigation of additively manufactured rigid polymers for Soft Robots application using Powder Bed Fusion

• Mateus Santos de Cerqueira SENAI CIMATEC
• Marcelo Okada Shigueoka SENAI CIMATEC
• Bruno Caetano Dos Santos Silva SENAI CIMATEC
• Lucas Cruz Da Silva SENAI CIMATEC
• Diego Russo Juliano Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltd
• Valter Estevão Beal SENAI CIMATEC

Abstract

Soft robots are commonly constructed by integrating different technologies or employing indirect manufacturing methods to create a manipulator model. The compliant characteristics of a soft manipulator can be achieved through its geometry and flexibility. This article discusses the development of two types of soft robots: one controlled using tendons and the other pneumatically actuated. A comparison was carried out to assess the structural deformation of compliant parts compared to solid parts. The experiment demonstrated the construction of a compliant component using non-soft material properties.

Keywords: robotics, additive manufacturing, powder bed fusion