Soft-backing enhanced composite electroadhesion

Abstract This work presents an application of electroadhesion (EA) where a soft substrate is used to accommodate misalignments and surface roughness increasing normal & peel force potential. Poor alignment during multi-agent contact will create multi-axial loading requiring greater normal and peel strength than is normally considered for EA clutching and braking. Results show compliant backing increases the EA normal (8–24 kPa), peel (2–4 kPa), and shear tractions (20–106 kPa) at the expense of only contact stiffness. The displacement over which the contact maintained a traction was also increased with a soft backing increasing the contact energy in all cases. Graphical Abstract