Analytical and Experimental Force Analysis of a Soft Linear Pneumatic Actuator

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical and experimental study of a soft linear sleeve actuator, revealing how pressure, geometry, and loading influence its force output, with implications for wearable robotics.

Contribution

It introduces a quasi-static analytical model for LSSA force behavior and validates it through experiments, enhancing understanding of soft actuator mechanics.

Findings

Force decreases from 112 N to near zero over 40 mm extension at 125 kPa.

Static load reduces force output, especially at lower pressures.

Force generation depends on pressure, geometry, displacement, and axial stiffness.

Abstract

Soft sleeve actuators (SSAs) have recently been developed as a pneumatic actuation approach for wearable and assistive robotic systems. By integrating the actuation structure into a sleeve-like geometry, these actuators can reduce reliance on external attachment layers and transmission mechanisms while maintaining compliance with limb-shaped surfaces. However, the force-generation behavior of SSAs remains insufficiently explained, particularly with respect to the variation of output force during extension, the influence of external loading, and the mechanical role of axial stiffness. This paper presents an analytical and experimental force analysis of a linear soft sleeve actuator (LSSA). A quasi-static analytical model was developed by expressing the net axial force as the pressure-generated contribution from the cap and folded walls, reduced by the force associated with axial stiffness. The model incorporates internal pressure, projected pressure areas, folded wall geometry, axial displacement, and an experimentally fitted axial stiffness relation. Prescribed-extension and static-load experiments were conducted to evaluate the actuator response. At 125 kPa, the generated force decreased from approximately 112 N at zero extension to nearly zero at 40 mm. Static loading delayed measurable force generation and reduced force output, particularly at low and intermediate pressures. The results show that LSSA force generation is governed by coupled effects of pressure, geometry, displacement, loading, and axial stiffness.