A soft ring-shaped actuator: FE simulation and motion tracking

Abstract

A soft ring-shaped actuator is inspired by the human stomach. This actuator can contract inward, mimicking the movements of the human stomach. It can benefit the research field of medical science and food engineering. In this paper, we investigate the deformation of such actuator employing finite-element simulation and motion tracking. Simulations are carried out to examine the influence of different pressure on the performance of the actuator. Motion tracking system is applied to track the mid-points on the deformed surface when the actuator is under pressurisation. The results show that the actuator can achieve axisymmetric contraction when inflated. The principal movements of mid-points are on the horizontal plane, whereas the change in the axial direction is negligible. This investigation can benefit the understanding of the profile of the deformed membrane and the construction of the mathematical modelling.