Reconfigurable Soft Robot Based on Fluidic Elastomer Actuators

Soft robotics is an affluent research topic nowa- days with the increased need for robots able to adapt to changing environments. Fluidic elastomer actuators, composed of embedded chambers in a hyper-elastic material with a fluid acting as a resistive variable, are one of the most promising actuators in soft robotics. However, there are still design and modeling challenges that hinder its behavior prediction and wide spread in applications. For instance, the need for improving the reconfigurability concept by connecting different actuator segments taking into consideration its geometric parameters, material properties and actuation method. In the proposed study we present a soft robot reconfigurable modular design approach integrating more than one soft robot modular actuator segment that can be adjusted to create different robot configurations. Additionally, the simulation results offer valuable insights into the system's behavior, including its motion and strain, both in standalone and combined configurations, as analyzed through Finite Element Analysis (FEA).