Fabrication and Its Performance Test of Soft Manipulator Embeded with Sensors Based on Liquid Metal Alloy

doi:10.3901/JME.2024.23.130

Abstract

Abstract: Traditional rigid manipulator is impeded by the potential safety issues in the context of human-machine interaction. Due to the natural compliance of its flexible materials and the ability to perceive the variation in its own action state and environment, the soft manipulator embedded with the sensors shows broad potential applications in man-machine interaction in unstructured working environment, sorting of fragile items or items with irregular shape, and medical rehabilitation assist equipment, etc. However，conventional sensors are rigid bodies and cannot match the large deformation under working conditions of repeated stretching and bending of soft manipulators. Gallium indium tin liquid metal alloy is used as conductors instead of traditional wires and the liquid metal patterning have been implemented by modifying the wettability of liquid metal on the substrate through surface treatment with nanosecond laser. Then the pressure and bending sensing elements have been prepared and the sensitivity and stability of the prepared flexible sensor were tested through experiments. Based on the sensor fabrication process mentioned above, a soft manipulator with self-perception of pressure and bending state was prepared and its grasping ability of complex shape objects and self-perception ability during operation are tested by experiments. This study provides a design and preparation method for soft manipulators with self-perception ability and the research results also have reference significance in soft robots, rehabilitation aids and wearable flexible skin.

Key words: soft manipulators, flexible sensors, liquid metal alloys, nanosecond laser processing

CLC Number:

TP241

WANG Quandai, DONG Wenbin, HUANG Le, GAO Guangming, YANG Zhenchao, ZHAO Renfeng, LI Yan. Fabrication and Its Performance Test of Soft Manipulator Embeded with Sensors Based on Liquid Metal Alloy[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2024, 60(23): 130-139.

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