A Vacuum Powered Soft Textile-Based Clutch

Abstract

We present the design, manufacturing, and characterization of a soft textile-based clutch (TBC) that uses vacuum stimulation to switch between locking and unlocking its linear displacement. The vacuum locks the relative sliding motion between two elaborated textile webbings with an elastic silicone rubber bag. Various fabrication techniques, such as silicone casting on textiles and melt embossing for direct fabrication of miniature patterns on textile and sewing, were used to develop three groups of TBC samples based on friction and interlocking principles. Their performance was compared in a blocking configuration. The clutch with an interlocking mechanism presented the highest withstanding force (150 N) compared to that (54 N) recorded for the friction-based clutch. The simple and compact structure of the proposed clutch, together with the intrinsic adaptability of fabric with other clothing and soft materials, make it an appropriate solution for applications in soft wearable robotics and generally as a locking and variable stiffness solution for soft robotic applications.