Protective Skin Mechanism with an Exhaustive Arrangement of Tiny Rigid Bodies

– Evaluation of Puncture Resistance, Elasticity and Descaling Resistance of Scale Mechanism –

Abstract

Soft actuators have advantages, including large deformation, safety and adaptability to the environment, and shock absorbance. However, they are weak against sharp objects due to their soft bodies. This paper proposes a protective skin mechanism with an exhaustive arrangement of tiny rigid bodies. Small pieces were sewed on an elastic sheet by Kevlar strings. We conducted some measurements of puncture resistance, elasticity, and descaling resistance of scale mechanisms. The results showed that the proposed scale mechanism had only a 150% larger elasticity than a simple silicone sheet. Also, approximately 15 N was required for descaling, which is seven times large force compared to the glued scale. There was no puncture even when pricked with a needle.