Article Synopsis
- Biomimetic machines like the GeometRy-based Actuators that Contract and Elongate (GRACE) are designed to integrate smoothly with natural and social environments.
- GRACEs use a single-material pleated membrane to achieve muscle-like contractions and extensions without the need for extra strain-limiting components, allowing for versatile movements.
- Their low-cost fabrication through additive manufacturing enables quick and easy prototyping, making it possible to create complex devices like a fully 3D-printed pneumatic artificial hand in one go.
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Article Abstract
Biomimetic machines able to integrate with natural and social environments will find ubiquitous applications, from biodiversity conservation to elderly daily care. Although artificial actuators have reached the contraction performances of muscles, the versatility and grace of the movements realized by the complex arrangements of muscles remain largely unmatched. Here, we present a class of pneumatic artificial muscles, named GeometRy-based Actuators that Contract and Elongate (GRACE). The GRACEs consist of a single-material pleated membrane and do not need any strain-limiting elements. They can contract and extend by design, as described by a mathematical model, and can be realized at different dimensional scales and with different materials and mechanical performances, enabling a wide range of lifelike movements. The GRACEs can be fabricated through low-cost additive manufacturing and even built directly within functional devices, such as a pneumatic artificial hand that is fully three-dimensionally printed in one step. This makes the prototyping and fabrication of pneumatic artificial muscle-based devices faster and more straightforward.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.abn4155 | DOI Listing |
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