Design and Analysis of a Novel Soft Pneumatic Actuator with Bidirectional Adjustable Bending Function

Soft actuators are essential components of various soft robots, and soft robots hold great promise in the field of medical applications. Therefore, a soft pneumatic actuator is proposed in this paper that is specifically designed for use in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The actuator is innovative in terms of material, construction and appearance, etc. It is designed to use two different pneumatic network structures, allowing the different chambers of the actuator to cooperate and perform in various working environments. In this article, the design and simulation analysis of the actuator is systematically presented. The output characteristics of the soft actuator are tested in ABAQUS and the relationship between the input air pressure and the actuator position is investigated. Compared to traditional single-pneumatic-network-structured actuators, this new actuator has bidirectional adjustable bending capabilities. Its bending deformation can reach up to 180 degrees, with an adjustable range of 90 degrees. The actuator exhibits high safety and effectiveness, providing theoretical support for the design of medical soft robots.