EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF LASER-CUT PNEUMATIC SOFT ROBOT STRUCTURES

Soft robotics has emerged as one of the most promising and rapidly evolving fields within robotics research. Unlike traditional rigid systems, soft robots are composed of highly compliant materials such as elastomers, allowing them to interact with their surroundings in more adaptable, safer, and biologically inspired ways. Soft robotics also presents an opportunity to rethink actuation and control. Instead of relying on rigid mechanical linkages and electric motors, many soft robots utilize pneumatic actuators that mimic biological muscle behavior. Combined with cost-effective fabrication techniques, like molding, 3D-printing, and laser cutting, these technologies make soft robotic systems increasingly accessible. However, the highly nonlinear mechanical behavior of soft (rubberlike) materials coupled with complex fluid-structure interactions during pneumatic actuation presents significant challenges in design optimization. To address these, the optimal robot structure can be achieved through iterative finite element (FE) simulations. This contribution presents the analysis of the mechanical behavior of laser-cut, pneumatically actuated soft robotic structures through experimental characterization and finite element simulations. By examining the mechanical response of different structural geometries and material compositions, the study contributes to a broader understanding of how soft robots can be used more effectively and widely in the future.