MRCSPA: A Modular Reconfiguration Soft Pneumatic Actuator

Abstract

Soft pneumatic actuators are inherently compliant and safe, but their fixed morphologies after fabrication limit adaptability to different manipulation tasks. This paper presents a modular reconfiguration soft pneumatic actuator (MRCSPA) that enables rapid post-fabrication shape customization through detachable constraint modules. By rearranging the modules, a single actuator can achieve multiple deformation profiles and mechanical characteristics without remanufacturing. To evaluate its practical applicability, two industrially relevant metrics, reconfiguration time and module-retention reliability, are quantitatively investigated. Experimental results show that the actuator can be reconfigured within several dozen seconds and exhibits no module detachment after 40 000 pneumatic actuation cycles. Static, dynamic, and grasping experiments demonstrate that different configurations provide tunable stiffness, deformation behavior, and task adaptability. In addition, a piecewise linear parameter-varying dynamic model identified using the improved teaching–learning-based optimization (ITLBO) algorithm achieves high prediction accuracy with $R^{2}=0.99$ and RMSE = 2.69°. The proposed actuator provides a practical solution for rapid task switching in industrial soft robotic manipulation. Note to Practitioners—Industrial soft robotic end-effectors often require redesign or replacement to accommodate new manipulation tasks, leading to increased cost and production downtime. The proposed modular soft pneumatic actuator addresses this limitation by enabling rapid post-fabrication shape reconfiguration through detachable constraint modules without replacing the soft body. Unlike most previous studies, this work quantitatively evaluates two practical metrics: reconfiguration time and module-retention reliability. Experiments demonstrate that the actuator can be reconfigured within several dozen seconds while maintaining reliable module fixation after prolonged cyclic actuation. The proposed design enables a single actuator platform to support multiple manipulation tasks with reduced changeover time and maintenance effort.