Mengjia Zhu

Mengjia Zhu

Soft handling systems provide a compliant way to transport delicate objects. Several researchers have explored the methods of using dielectric elastomer actuators and pneumatic cells to generate traveling waves. These systems produce an inflated cell on the surface and require individual control of each cell. This project aims to explore the use of linear actuation methods to produce a similar wave handling system that may potentially reduce the control degrees of freedom. Robotic fabric sheets are constructed using linear actuators. The generation of localized indentation and protrusion is explored and different designs of the actuation matrix are evaluated and compared. Finally, two object transportation cases are demonstrated to show the feasibility of the proposed system.