Soft actuation with smart materials: a bioinspired approach

Soft robotics is an emerging field that creates machines from flexible, deformable materials inspired by biological organisms. Unlike traditional rigid robots, soft robots can safely interact with humans and adapt to unstructured environments. The primary goal of this thesis is to help bridge the gap between biological and robotic motion by developing bioinspired approaches using both artificial muscles and continuum body structures. To achieve this, this research explored the design and fabrication of twisted and coiled artificial muscles (TCAMs) and liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators, two classes of smart materials that can produce controllable shape change. New manufacturing methods were established to produce these actuators with improved consistency and performance, and various materials were tested including demonstration of underwater operation. Building on this foundation, these components were integrated into modular continuum prototypes inspired by the mechanics and capabilities of octopus arms. Ultimately, this research lays the groundwork for low-cost, versatile soft robots that can emulate complex biological motion and be applied in medicine, education, exploration, and other fields where adaptability and safe interaction are essential.