Enhancing the Performance of Fin Ray Effect Soft Robotic Finger via Computational Design and Simulation

Innovations in soft robotics are revolutionizing the field of robotic manipulation. The development of soft robotic fingers inspired by the Fin Ray Effect (FRE) is one of the areas in soft robotics that has seen recent implementation in industrial manipulators, while at the same time still being widely researched. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to the design optimization, computational simulation, and experimental validation of FRE soft robotic fingers that mimic the adaptive grasping capabilities inherent to the biological phenomenon observed in fish fins. Finite element analysis in ANSYS was used to study the structural characteristics that affect FRE finger performance, and grasp strength. This research included the simulation of various finger shapes interacting with a circular shape, to characterize and identify designs that optimize performance across a range of applications. Prototypes were fabricated in Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a shore of 95A, using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology to validate the simulation results. The results highlight the significance of accurately factoring in the forces associated with manipulation tasks when designing FRE soft robotic fingers.