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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.15066 |
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| _version_ | 1866912967936704512 |
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| author | Feng, Siyuan Feng, Ruoyu Li, Shuguang |
| author_facet | Feng, Siyuan Feng, Ruoyu Li, Shuguang |
| contents | Artificial muscles embody human aspirations for engineering lifelike robotic movements. This paper introduces an architecture for Inflatable Fluid-Driven Origami-Inspired Artificial Muscles (IN-FOAMs). A typical IN-FOAM consists of an inflatable skeleton enclosed within an outer skin, which can be driven using a combination of positive and negative pressures (e.g., compressed air and vacuum). IN-FOAMs are manufactured using low-cost heat-sealable sheet materials through heat-pressing and heat-sealing processes. Thus, they can be ultra-thin when not actuated, making them flexible, lightweight, and portable. The skeleton patterns are programmable, enabling a variety of motions, including contracting, bending, twisting, and rotating, based on specific skeleton designs. We conducted comprehensive experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies to investigate IN-FOAM's basic mechanical behavior and properties. The results show that IN-FOAM's output force and contraction can be tuned through multiple operation modes with the applied hybrid positive-negative pressure. Additionally, we propose multilayer skeleton structures to enhance the contraction ratio further, and we demonstrate a multi-channel skeleton approach that allows the integration of multiple motion modes into a single IN-FOAM. These findings indicate that IN-FOAMs hold great potential for future applications in flexible wearable devices and compact soft robotic systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_15066 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Multi-Mode Pneumatic Artificial Muscles Driven by Hybrid Positive-Negative Pressure Feng, Siyuan Feng, Ruoyu Li, Shuguang Robotics Artificial muscles embody human aspirations for engineering lifelike robotic movements. This paper introduces an architecture for Inflatable Fluid-Driven Origami-Inspired Artificial Muscles (IN-FOAMs). A typical IN-FOAM consists of an inflatable skeleton enclosed within an outer skin, which can be driven using a combination of positive and negative pressures (e.g., compressed air and vacuum). IN-FOAMs are manufactured using low-cost heat-sealable sheet materials through heat-pressing and heat-sealing processes. Thus, they can be ultra-thin when not actuated, making them flexible, lightweight, and portable. The skeleton patterns are programmable, enabling a variety of motions, including contracting, bending, twisting, and rotating, based on specific skeleton designs. We conducted comprehensive experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies to investigate IN-FOAM's basic mechanical behavior and properties. The results show that IN-FOAM's output force and contraction can be tuned through multiple operation modes with the applied hybrid positive-negative pressure. Additionally, we propose multilayer skeleton structures to enhance the contraction ratio further, and we demonstrate a multi-channel skeleton approach that allows the integration of multiple motion modes into a single IN-FOAM. These findings indicate that IN-FOAMs hold great potential for future applications in flexible wearable devices and compact soft robotic systems. |
| title | Multi-Mode Pneumatic Artificial Muscles Driven by Hybrid Positive-Negative Pressure |
| topic | Robotics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.15066 |