Elastomeric spring actuator using nylon wires

Medical devices are designed for collaboration with the human body, which makes the steps to create them increasingly more complex if the device is to be implanted. Soft robots have the unique potential of meeting both the mechanical compliance with the interacting tissues and the controlled functionality needed for a repair or replacement. Soft devices that fulfill fundamental mechanical roles are needed as parts of soft robots in order to carry out desired tasks. As the medical devices become increasingly low-profile, soft devices must feature multi-functionality that is embedded in the structure. A device embedded with nylon actuators allows for the controlled collapsing of an elastomeric spring by compression alone or compression and twisting. In this paper we present the concept of a novel elastomeric spring, its fabrication and mechanical characterization.