Design and Development of a Low-Cost Programmable Air Regulator for Soft Pneumatic Actuators
Abstract
Soft Pneumatic Actuators (SPAs) are widely utilized due to their affordability, simplicity, and ability to produce diverse movements such as bending and twisting by regulating air pressure. However, precise air pressure control remains a significant challenge in achieving desired actuator motions and maintaining performance consistency. While commercial programmable air regulators exist, their high cost often limits accessibility for budget-conscious research and educational institutions. This study addresses this challenge by designing and developing a low-cost programmable air regulator tailored for SPAs. Utilizing widely available and inexpensive components, the system aims to provide precise and reliable pressure control, democratizing SPA technology for researchers, small industries, and educational institutions. The regulator employs a stepper motor with a 1.8-degree step resolution and a 1:4 gear ratio, offering fine granularity in pressure adjustments. Carefully selected speed (1000 steps/s) and acceleration (500 steps/s) parameters ensure consistent operation under repetitive use. The program code of Arduino UNO microcontroller developed in this study can be readily adopted by researchers and practitioners. The regulator consistently achieves desired pressures through precise control of motor revolutions, proving to be a viable, cost-effective alternative to expensive commercial options.
Downloads
References
C. Tawk and G. Alici, “A Review of 3D‐Printable Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Sensors: Research Challenges and Opportunities,” Adv. Intell. Syst., vol. 3, no. 6, 2021, doi: 10.1002/aisy.202000223.
M. Li, A. Pal, A. Aghakhani, A. Pena-Francesch, and M. Sitti, “Soft actuators for real-world applications,” Nat. Rev. Mater., vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 235–249, 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41578-021-00389-7.
Y. Yang, Y. Wu, C. Li, X. Yang, and W. Chen, “Flexible Actuators for Soft Robotics,” Adv. Intell. Syst., vol. 2, no. 1, 2020, doi: 10.1002/aisy.201900077.
P. L. García, S. Crispel, E. Saerens, T. Verstraten, and D. Lefeber, “Compact Gearboxes for Modern Robotics: A Review,” Front. Robot. AI, vol. 7, no. August, 2020, doi: 10.3389/frobt.2020.00103.
M. Zou et al., “Progresses in Tensile, Torsional, and Multifunctional Soft Actuators,” Adv. Funct. Mater., vol. 31, no. 39, p. 2007437, Sep. 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202007437.
N. El-Atab et al., “Soft Actuators for Soft Robotic Applications: A Review,” Adv. Intell. Syst., vol. 2, no. 10, 2020, doi: 10.1002/aisy.202000128.
H. Li, J. Yao, P. Zhou, X. Chen, Y. Xu, and Y. Zhao, “High-force soft pneumatic actuators based on novel casting method for robotic applications,” Sensors Actuators, A Phys., vol. 306, p. 111957, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.sna.2020.111957.
T. Takayama and Y. Sumi, “Self-excited air flow passage changing device for periodic pressurization of soft robot,” ROBOMECH J., vol. 8, no. 1, 2021, doi: 10.1186/s40648-021-00207-3.
B. Gorissen, D. Reynaerts, S. Konishi, K. Yoshida, J.-W. Kim, and M. De Volder, “Elastic Inflatable Actuators for Soft Robotic Applications,” Adv. Mater., vol. 29, no. 43, p. 1604977, Nov. 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201604977.
G. M. Whitesides, “Soft Robotics,” Angew. Chemie Int. Ed., vol. 57, no. 16, pp. 4258–4273, Apr. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201800907.
M. S. Xavier, A. J. Fleming, and Y. K. Yong, “Design and Control of Pneumatic Systems for Soft Robotics: A Simulation Approach,” IEEE Robot. Autom. Lett., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 5800–5807, 2021, doi: 10.1109/LRA.2021.3086425.
W. Dou, G. Zhong, J. Cao, Z. Shi, B. Peng, and L. Jiang, “Soft Robotic Manipulators: Designs, Actuation, Stiffness Tuning, and Sensing,” Adv. Mater. Technol., vol. 6, no. 9, p. 2100018, Sep. 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202100018.
J. Walker et al., “Soft Robotics: A Review of Recent Developments of Pneumatic Soft Actuators,” Actuators, vol. 9, no. 1. p. 3, 2020. doi: 10.3390/act9010003.
T. Sénac et al., “A review of pneumatic actuators used for the design of medical simulators and medical tools,” Multimodal Technol. Interact., vol. 3, no. 3, 2019, doi: 10.3390/mti3030047.
Copyright (c) 2025 Syahirul Alim Ritonga, Sarah Iftin Atsani, Mohammad Ardyansah, Raditya Fadhil Arva, Herianto, Adrian Axel Yohannes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
