In this study, a vacuum-based modular actuator system named reconfigurable origami-based vacuum pneumatic artificial muscles (ROV-PAMs) is presented. The system consists of six types of actuating modules and three types of fluidic supporting modules each embedded with magnet-based connectors so that the modules can be assembled to modify the system behavior. The module can be used in a myriad of ways, including extending their working range, creating complex geometries upon deformation, and cooperating to improve overall performance. A simple analytical model for the actuating modules is derived based on the law of conservation of energy, and the model is verified experimentally which shows that this intuitive model can provide a reasonable prediction of performance. A block sorting robot is built using three different types of actuating modules with multiple fluidic supporting modules, and the robot shows that it is possible to flexibly and easily assemble modules to build a robot capable of completing diverse tasks. The ROV-PAM module and its concept can be applied to realize robotic designs, which can be altered on-the-fly to adjust its functionality to meet the evolving requirements required for truly flexible automation.

中文翻译：

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用于多功能机器人系统的可重构折纸真空气动人工肌肉的设计与分析。


在这项研究中，提出了一种基于真空的模块化致动器系统，称为可重构折纸真空气动人工肌肉（ROV-PAM）。该系统由六种类型的驱动模块和三种类型的流体支持模块组成，每种模块都嵌入有基于磁铁的连接器，以便可以组装模块来修改系统行为。该模块可以通过多种方式使用，包括扩展其工作范围、在变形时创建复杂的几何形状以及协作提高整体性能。基于能量守恒定律推导了驱动模块的简单分析模型，并通过实验验证了该模型，表明该直观模型可以提供合理的性能预测。使用三种不同类型的驱动模块和多个流体支撑模块构建了块分类机器人，该机器人表明可以灵活、轻松地组装模块来构建能够完成不同任务的机器人。 ROV-PAM 模块及其概念可用于实现机器人设计，可以即时更改以调整其功能，以满足真正灵活自动化所需的不断变化的要求。