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Snapping Actuators with Asymmetric and Sequenced Motion

Xin Li, Ye Jin, Mohsen Jafarpour, Hugo de Souza Oliveira, Edoardo Milana

Abstract

Snapping instabilities in soft structures offer a powerful pathway to achieve rapid and energy-efficient actuation. In this study, an eccentric dome-shaped snapping actuator is developed to generate controllable asymmetric motion through geometry-induced instability. Finite element simulations and experiments reveal consistent asymmetric deformation and the corresponding pressure characteristics. By coupling four snapping actuators in a pneumatic network, a compact quadrupedal robot achieves coordinated wavelike locomotion using only a single pressure input. The robot exhibits frequency-dependent performance with a maximum speed of 72.78~mm/s at 7.5~Hz. These findings demonstrate the potential of asymmetric snapping mechanisms for physically controlled actuation and lay the groundwork for fully untethered and efficient soft robotic systems.

Snapping Actuators with Asymmetric and Sequenced Motion

Abstract

Snapping instabilities in soft structures offer a powerful pathway to achieve rapid and energy-efficient actuation. In this study, an eccentric dome-shaped snapping actuator is developed to generate controllable asymmetric motion through geometry-induced instability. Finite element simulations and experiments reveal consistent asymmetric deformation and the corresponding pressure characteristics. By coupling four snapping actuators in a pneumatic network, a compact quadrupedal robot achieves coordinated wavelike locomotion using only a single pressure input. The robot exhibits frequency-dependent performance with a maximum speed of 72.78~mm/s at 7.5~Hz. These findings demonstrate the potential of asymmetric snapping mechanisms for physically controlled actuation and lay the groundwork for fully untethered and efficient soft robotic systems.
Paper Structure (17 sections, 2 equations, 11 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 17 sections, 2 equations, 11 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Design and Methods
  3. Actuator Design
  4. Robot Design
  5. Fabrication
  6. Finite element simulations
  7. Experimental Setup
  8. Pressure curve
  9. Trajectory analysis
  10. Actuation
  11. Results
  12. Deformation and Pressure Curve
  13. Trajectory
  14. Walking Performance
  15. Movement Breakdown
  16. ...and 2 more sections

Figures (11)

  • Figure 1: Asymmetric movement of the eccentric snapping actuator.
  • Figure 2: Eccentric structure design of asymmetric snapping actuator.
  • Figure 3: Sequential pneumatic network system design.
  • Figure 4: RC circuit analogy for the sequential pneumatic network.
  • Figure 5: Fabrication process: a) mold for actuator fabricated by milling machine, b) mold for actuation system fabricated by FDM 3D printer, c) the final assembled robot.
  • ...and 6 more figures