コアンダ効果を利用した流体素子切換弁を用いたラテックス製バルーンの切換制御

抄録

Soft robots have advantages in terms of safety, softness and compliance. However, each fluid driven soft actuator often employed in soft robots requires a corresponding pressure supply and valve to be driven. Here, we take notice of a fluidic valve which can control flow without a mechanically moving part from a viewpoint of simplifying the driving system of fluid-driven soft actuators. Hence, we realize a system which consists of a pump, a fluidic switching valve, control flow and two balloons. The valve cannot switch the flow when the pressure difference between outlets is over several kPa, so we use latex balloons which has a peak in their PV diagrams. The system is able to control the balloon’s expansion by switching the flow from the pump. Experimental results proved that the system could actuate the arbitrary balloon.