Chauhan, M orcid.org/0000-0001-9742-5352, Chandler, JH orcid.org/0000-0001-9232-4966, Jha, A orcid.org/0000-0003-3150-5645 et al. (3 more authors) (2021) An Origami-Based Soft Robotic Actuator for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Applications. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8. 664720. ISSN 2296-9144
Abstract
Soft pneumatic actuators have been explored for endoscopic applications, but challenges in fabricating complex geometry with desirable dimensions and compliance remain. The addition of an endoscopic camera or tool channel is generally not possible without significant change in the diameter of the actuator. Radial expansion and ballooning of actuator walls during bending is undesirable for endoscopic applications. The inclusion of strain limiting methods like, wound fibre, mesh, or multi-material molding have been explored, but the integration of these design approaches with endoscopic requirements drastically increases fabrication complexity, precluding reliable translation into functional endoscopes. For the first time in soft robotics, we present a multi-channel, single material elastomeric actuator with a fully corrugated design (inspired by origami); offering specific functionality for endoscopic applications. The features introduced in this design include i) fabrication of multi-channel monolithic structure of 8.5 mm diameter, ii) incorporation of the benefits of corrugated design in a single material (i.e., limited radial expansion and improved bending efficiency), iii) design scalability (length and diameter), and iv) incorporation of a central hollow channel for the inclusion of an endoscopic camera. Two variants of the actuator are fabricated which have different corrugated or origami length, i.e., 30 mm and 40 mm respectively). Each of the three actuator channels is evaluated under varying volumetric (0.5 mls-1 and 1.5 mls-1 feed rate) and pressurized control to achieve a similar bending profile with the maximum bending angle of 150°. With the intended use for single use upper gastrointestinal endoscopic application, it is desirable to have linear relationships between actuation and angular position in soft pneumatic actuators with high bending response at low pressures; this is where the origami actuator offers contribution. The soft pneumatic actuator has been demonstrated to achieve a maximum bending angle of 200° when integrated with manually driven endoscope. The simple 3-step fabrication technique produces a complex origami pattern in a soft robotic structure, which promotes low pressure bending through the opening of the corrugation while retaining a small diameter and a central lumen, required for successful endoscope integration.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 Chauhan, Chandler, Jha, Subramaniam, Obstein and Valdastri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
Keywords: | soft robotics, upper G.I. endoscopy, volume and pressure characterization, monolithic soft actuators, soft actuator model, soft actuator fabrication |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Leeds) > Robotics, Autonomous Systems & Sensing (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EU - European Union 844696 Royal Society wm150122 National Institute of Health - NIH (PHS) 6R01EB018992 EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) EP/P027938/1 NIHR National Inst Health Research 16/137/44 EU - European Union 818045 EU - European Union 844696 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 21 Apr 2021 13:11 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media |
Identification Number: | 10.3389/frobt.2021.664720 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:173049 |