Simulation of Ferrofluid Based Soft Actuator Using Magnetic Field Optimization Approach

In recent times, soft robot has become an unconventional field of research in robotics. In comparison to classic robotics, soft robot shows an excellent adaptability in nature, surveillance with more pliability and of course a simpler structure. In this paper, a new approach for ferrofluid based soft actuator which shows various vertical motions when varying magnetic field is applied, has been introduced for the first time. Finite element method is used here to model different motions of the ferrofluid tube together with field, force and stress analysis. Eventually this simulation approach gave us values of the force exerted on the tube, the magnetic stream lines, direction of the flux, force direction and also the displacement of the tube when introduced to varying magnetic field.