Quasi-Static Continuum Model with Fluid–Structure Interaction of an Octopus-Like Soft Robotic Arm Underwater Actuated by Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles

Amirreza Fahim Golestaneh; Venanzio Cichella; Caterina Lamuta

doi:10.1177/28350111251365628

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Quasi-Static Continuum Model with Fluid–Structure Interaction of an Octopus-Like Soft Robotic Arm Underwater Actuated by Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles

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Quasi-Static Continuum Model with Fluid–Structure Interaction of an Octopus-Like Soft Robotic Arm Underwater Actuated by Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles

Amirreza Fahim Golestaneh, Venanzio Cichella and Caterina Lamuta

Robotics Reports, Vol.3(1), pp.37-53

09/01/2025

DOI: 10.1177/28350111251365628

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Abstract

This study presents a qualitative investigation into the use of twisted and coiled artificial muscles (TCAMs) for actuating and replicating the bending motion of an octopus-like soft robotic arm underwater. The “extended” Cosserat theory of rods, alongside continuum mechanics principles, is employed to develop a strain-based model for the quasi-static motion of the soft arm, incorporating fluid–structure interaction through hydrostatic and dynamic forces from fluid flow. In the proposed model, the cross-section of the arm not only undergoes rigid rotation but also deforms within its plane, a feature that aligns with the biomechanical behavior of octopus arms, where local stiffness arises from the incompressibility of tissue. TCAMs, as lightweight and low-cost actuators, offer high power-to-weight ratios and can produce tensile forces up to 12,600 times their own weight, approaching the functionality of biological muscles. To support the modeling framework, a constitutive model is also developed to describe the characteristic material behavior of the soft octopus-like arm.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Quasi-Static Continuum Model with Fluid–Structure Interaction of an Octopus-Like Soft Robotic Arm Underwater Actuated by Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles
Creators: Amirreza Fahim Golestaneh
Venanzio Cichella - University of Iowa, Mechanical Engineering
Caterina Lamuta - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Robotics Reports, Vol.3(1), pp.37-53
DOI: 10.1177/28350111251365628
ISSN: 2835-0111
eISSN: 2835-0111
Number of pages: 17
Language: English
Date published: 09/01/2025
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984966545702771

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