Exploring design optimization for additive manufactured actuators inspired by fin ray

Details

Supervisors

Simar, Aude

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Bio-inspired actuators mimic naturally occurring fish fin behaviors like rapid shape changes and hydrodynamic force resistance underwater. Unlike traditional rigid actuators, they offer enhanced flexibility and stiffness. This thesis covers the design optimization of flexible actuators inspired by the fish fin ray effect. These actuators are produced through additive manufacturing (AM) using soft materials, eliminating assembly and making them versatile. This AM technique facilitates the manufacturing of fish fin–inspired actuators that can provide robotic materials with large morphing amplitudes and large stiffness. These actuators have applications in various domains, including gripping in robotics and wing morphing in aerospace. The study introduces new techniques for measuring shape adaptability and morphing efficiency, accompanied by experimental procedures for design evaluation. The conducted experiments examine stiffness, actuation efficiency (i.e., the capability to change shape) and shape adaptation efficiency (i.e., the ability to conform to the shape of a grasped object). The actuators are composed of two flexible surfaces merging at one end, connected by cross-beams. Different designs of actuators are compared for stiffness, shape adaptation, and morphing under identical force application. From the result increasing the width of the actuator results in a stiffer actuator while segmenting the actuator enhances its actuation efficiency. Incorporating these designs leads to a balanced trade-off between the two properties. Reducing the thickness and increasing the number of links intensifies deformation and contact area, ultimately leading to better morphing efficiency.