A Predictable Design and Production Workflow for Field Deployable Underwater Soft Actuator Applications

In this paper, a bio-inspired hybrid soft actuator unit that provides controllable drag to a smaller lander was designed, created, and tested in the field. In the underwater environment, soft robotic actuators have consistently shown their effectiveness and utility with manipulation and loco-motion. They are resistant to harsh environments, inherently compliant for delicate tasks and able to achieve complex motions with simple inputs. This makes them ideal for a variety of applications including gasping, locomotion, and bio-inspired robots. Additionally, soft actuators have the potential to be economical and simple alternatives to rigid pneumatic and hydraulic actuators. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the design process for field-ready soft actuators, we developed a bio-inspired hybrid soft actuator-controllable adjustable drag system that was implemented on an underwater instrument which was tested in the deep-sea environment. The system was able to reduce its terminal velocity by 45%. These results demonstrate how soft actuators can guide large-scale control surfaces in high fluid velocities, and lead towards underwater vehicle locomotion and shape-changing schemes using soft actuators.