Experimental and Finite Element Studies of a Soft Robot Finger Material - a Contact Mechanics Approach

A robot is a machine, especially a programmable one, which is capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, emulating certain human movements and functions. Robotic applications are used worldwide to improve quality and to meet production requirements. In this paper, a study has been made to develop a robot finger material which enables a soft contact and withstands a high temperature. Two materials, the VitonR and the silicone rubber are investigated. Experimental studies on these two materials are conducted to estimate their tensile strength and hardness. Other parameters such as contact width and percent elongation are also determined. The finite element software "ABAQUS" is used for the determination of the Von-Mises stress, contact pressure and contact width at different depths of indentation. In the robot finger design, the properties of the VitonR rubber are observed to be superior to those of the silicone rubber material