SOFT ACTUATORS AND SENSORS FOR WEARABLE ROBOTICS

Abstract

Soft Robotics as a field has been gaining popularity over the last decade due to its utility in varied applications from medical domains to locomotion and industrial applications. Soft sensors have been used for wearable interfaces to detect user intent. These are light and conformal, leading to less discomfort than conventional sensors. However, they are slow and not robust to noise. Soft actuators while safe to deploy on the human body need high pressures to generate the force output required to make them useable for larger joints like the elbow. In this thesis, we explore a sensing method that overcome the latency and noise susceptibility of conventional soft sensors for human-centred applications. Additionally, we propose a composite actuator design using multiple materials, which enable generation of large forces at lower pressures (<150kPa). These technologies, together, provide a basis for wearable sensing interfaces and assistive devices for the future.