Finite Element Analysis-based soft robotic modeling: Simulating a soft-actuator in SOFA

Description

Soft robotics modeling is a research topic that is evolving fast. Many techniques are present in literature but most of them require analytical models with a lot of equations that are time-consuming, hard to resolve, and not so easy to handle. For this reason, the help of a soft mechanics simulator is essential in this field. In fact, this paper presents a tutorial on how to build a soft-robot model using an open-source Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulator, called SOFA. This software is able to generate a simulation scene from a code written in Python or XML, so it can be used by people that with different fields of competence like mechanical knowledge, knowledge of material properties and programming skills. As a case study, a Python simulation of a cable-driven soft actuator that makes contact with a rigid object is considered. The basic working principles of SOFA required to make a scene are explained step by step. In particular, it shows how to simulate the mechanics and animate the bending behavior of the actuator. Furthermore, it will be shown also how to retrieve and save data from simulation, demonstrating that SOFA can easily adapt to a multi-disciplinary subject as the research in soft-robotics, but also be useful for teaching simulation and programming language principles to engineering students.

Period	30 May 2023
Event title	IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
Event type	Conference
Location	London, United KingdomShow on map