Design and implementation of a low-cost and lightweight inflatable robot finger

In this paper, mechanical design and implementation of a low-cost and lightweight inflatable robot finger are proposed. The proposed soft inflatable robot finger is different from traditional designs. It uses a common and low cost inflatable material and can be easily and massively manufactured. The proposed soft inflatable finger only weighs 0.8 grams, but can well realize swift movement which is actuated by low pressure air. Numerous analyses and experiments have been conducted for key parameters selection of the mechanical design. The performances of the proposed finger including flexing and extending have also been evaluated, and results are satisfactory.