The Innovative Multi-Cavity Pneumatic Actuator: A Chemical Reaction-Driven Device for Generating Mechanical Crawling Motion

The low manufacturing cost and fast response speed of pneumatic actuators have attracted widespread attention from researchers in the field of soft robotics. Biomimetic design, as one of the mainstream design concepts of pneumatic actuators, has provided researchers with a source of inspiration. Most existing actuators are based on biomimetic design. In this paper, a pneumatic soft actuator with a biomimetic worm-like design for crawling robots is proposed. This actuator is composed of multiple mesh-like air chambers, and its main parameters are optimized through finite element analysis, enabling it to perform various complex movements. Moreover, in most existing pneumatic actuators, the air source is supplied by air pumps, while the designed actuator in this paper is powered by chemical reactions. By controlling the types and ratios of raw materials, different chemical reactions occur, leading to periodic inhalation and exhalation, allowing the actuator to perform repetitive movements as intended. This driving method can effectively combine with the mechanical motion of the crawling robot, enhancing the autonomy and environmental adaptability of soft robots.