Abstract:

Soft-bodied manipulators are new type of mechanical devices mainly made of soft materials, which possess the characteristics of high flexibility, good adaptation in complex environment and safe human-machine interaction because of the flexibility and passive adaptability of soft materials. The soft-bodied manipulators have been intensively studied and shown great potential applications. The review of existing soft-bodied manipulators in terms of applications, actuation methods, materials and fabrication, modeling and control is presented. The current issues and possible solutions are also discussed. Soft-bodied manipulators are an important branch of soft robotics, which involves a combination of material science, mechanics, chemistry, mechanical design and manufacture, electronic and control science and biology. The study of soft-bodied manipulators will greatly enrich people’s understanding of the complex and rich characteristics of soft materials, and will provide theoretical and technical guidance for integrating soft materials into design of products.

Key words: human-machine interaction, soft materials, soft robotics, soft-bodied manipulator