Simulation and optimization of inchworm-like pneumatic crawling actuator based on ABAQUS software

The actuator, serving as the fundamental power source of a soft robot, functions as its central component. The field of soft robotics has garnered increasing research attention since its inception. Pneumatic crawling robots, being an essential branch within the realm of soft robotics, possess notable characteristics such as rapid response time, cost-effectiveness, and human-computer interaction safety. Consequently, they hold significant research value. Among various types of crawling robots that have garnered considerable interest from researchers is the inchworm crawling robot. This paper aims to address the design and development aspects pertaining to inchworm actuators. By utilizing ABAQUS simulation software and taking displacement as the reference parameter, an analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of various geometric parameters on actuator displacement. Additionally, optimization of these geometric parameters was performed. The values of aspect ratio, length-to-width ratio, vertex angle and gap depth suitable for inchworm-like actuator are obtained. These findings are presented for the first time in the field of crawling soft robots and provide a theoretical basis for the development of pneumatic inchworm-like actuators.