Design and modelling of multiple-air-chamber pneumatic soft bending actuators

In this paper, we design a multiple-air-chamber pneumatic soft bending actuator made of two-component silicone rubber that can achieve angle bending at any direction in space. Both the design philosophy and the working principle of the multiple-air-chamber pneumatic soft bending actuator are described in detail. Additionally, the dynamic model of the multiple-air-chamber pneumatic soft bending actuator is established by dividing the bending angle into n segments and using the Euler-Lagrange method. By simulating the dynamic model, we can find the optimal number of segments n that achieve desired angle bending control performance. Finally, experimental results of angle bending control for step signal and sinusoidal signal verify that the dynamic model is effective and applicative to obtain desired angle bending control performance.