Soft Robotic Module Actuated by Silicone-Based Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators - Modeling and Simulation

In recent years, the field of soft robotics has received an increasing attention due to the growing needs in human-robot collaboration. Dielectric Elastomer (DE) transducers are soft and flexible substrates sandwiched between two compliant electrodes, and appear as highly suitable as actuators and sensors for soft robots. In this paper we present a control-oriented dynamic model for a novel soft robotic structure, consisting of a flexible beam actuated by two opposing DE transducers. The model accounts for both DE material behavior and elastic properties of the flexible structure, as well as interaction between the two. Actuation performance of the soft robotic structure, quantified in terms of angular deflection and beam tip displacement, is investigated by means of numerical simulations studies.