Programmable Telescopic Soft Pneumatic Actuators for Deployable and Shape Morphing Soft Robots

The abstract frames soft robotics as a place where soft structures can change shape and apply forces in many directions, but notes that it is hard to directly use this design freedom because the design space is high-dimensional. To address this, the work introduces Programmable Telescopic Soft Pneumatic Actuators (PTSPAs), a parametrised actuator class designed to expand axially when inflated. The goal is deployable structures and manipulation in confined spaces, where large length changes are needed. The authors describe a parametric geometry generator that customizes actuator models from high-level inputs, and they explore the design space using semi-automated experimentation and systematic variation of key parameters. They characterize extension/bending, expansion, and stiffness, and report relationships between design parameters and performance. Finally, they demonstrate the actuators in a deployable soft quadruped whose legs deploy to enable walking and automatic adaptation to confined spaces.