Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot

Yu Zhang; Lingkai Luan; Longchao Zhang; Xianglong Li; Tianjiao Zheng; Yanhe Zhu; Zongwei Zhang; Tianshuo Wang

doi:10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot

Yu Zhang
, Lingkai Luan
, Longchao Zhang
, Xianglong Li
, Tianjiao Zheng
, Yanhe Zhu^*
, Zongwei Zhang
, Tianshuo Wang

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Mechatronics Engineering

Harbin University of Science and Technology
Harbin Institute of Technology
Jihua Laboratory

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

The flexibility and adaptability of soft legged robots offer great promise for their application in complex environments. This paper presents the design of a modular pneumatic-driven soft tripod robot (MPSTR), where the soft mechanical legs consist of two bending modules with S-shaped curvature structures. Each module comprises three uniformly distributed air chambers and a tube slot, and by introducing constraints from fiber-reinforced structures, each leg possesses planar mobility. To achieve control of the soft mechanical legs, this study establishes both the forward and inverse kinematics of the soft legs, and tests and fits the relationship between input chamber pressure and chamber extension length. To further enhance the performance and stability of the mechanical legs, we construct an experimental platform for the MPSTR, testing the translational capabilities of a single soft leg along the X and Y axes, and analyzing the feasibility of coordinated tripod locomotion and rotation gait planning.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings
Editors	Xuguang Lan, Xuesong Mei, Caigui Jiang, Fei Zhao, Zhiqiang Tian
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	244-257
Number of pages	14
ISBN (Print)	9789819607976
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19
State	Published - 2025
Event	17th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2024 - Xi'an, China Duration: 31 Jul 2024 → 2 Aug 2024

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	15204 LNAI
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	17th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2024
Country/Territory	China
City	Xi'an
Period	31/07/24 → 2/08/24

Keywords

Mirrored Bending
Pneumatic-Driven
Soft Mechanical Legs

Access to Document

10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

Cite this

Zhang, Y., Luan, L., Zhang, L., Li, X., Zheng, T., Zhu, Y., Zhang, Z., & Wang, T. (2025). Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot. In X. Lan, X. Mei, C. Jiang, F. Zhao, & Z. Tian (Eds.), Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings (pp. 244-257). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) ; Vol. 15204 LNAI). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

Zhang, Yu ; Luan, Lingkai ; Zhang, Longchao et al. / Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot. Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings. editor / Xuguang Lan ; Xuesong Mei ; Caigui Jiang ; Fei Zhao ; Zhiqiang Tian. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025. pp. 244-257 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) ).

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abstract = "The flexibility and adaptability of soft legged robots offer great promise for their application in complex environments. This paper presents the design of a modular pneumatic-driven soft tripod robot (MPSTR), where the soft mechanical legs consist of two bending modules with S-shaped curvature structures. Each module comprises three uniformly distributed air chambers and a tube slot, and by introducing constraints from fiber-reinforced structures, each leg possesses planar mobility. To achieve control of the soft mechanical legs, this study establishes both the forward and inverse kinematics of the soft legs, and tests and fits the relationship between input chamber pressure and chamber extension length. To further enhance the performance and stability of the mechanical legs, we construct an experimental platform for the MPSTR, testing the translational capabilities of a single soft leg along the X and Y axes, and analyzing the feasibility of coordinated tripod locomotion and rotation gait planning.",

keywords = "Mirrored Bending, Pneumatic-Driven, Soft Mechanical Legs",

author = "Yu Zhang and Lingkai Luan and Longchao Zhang and Xianglong Li and Tianjiao Zheng and Yanhe Zhu and Zongwei Zhang and Tianshuo Wang",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.; 17th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2024 ; Conference date: 31-07-2024 Through 02-08-2024",

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doi = "10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3\_19",

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editor = "Xuguang Lan and Xuesong Mei and Caigui Jiang and Fei Zhao and Zhiqiang Tian",

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Zhang, Y, Luan, L, Zhang, L, Li, X, Zheng, T , Zhu, Y, Zhang, Z & Wang, T 2025, Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot. in X Lan, X Mei, C Jiang, F Zhao & Z Tian (eds), Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) , vol. 15204 LNAI, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 244-257, 17th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2024, Xi'an, China, 31/07/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot. / Zhang, Yu; Luan, Lingkai; Zhang, Longchao et al.
Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings. ed. / Xuguang Lan; Xuesong Mei; Caigui Jiang; Fei Zhao; Zhiqiang Tian. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025. p. 244-257 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) ; Vol. 15204 LNAI).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot

AU - Zhang, Yu

AU - Luan, Lingkai

AU - Zhang, Longchao

AU - Li, Xianglong

AU - Zheng, Tianjiao

AU - Zhu, Yanhe

AU - Zhang, Zongwei

AU - Wang, Tianshuo

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The flexibility and adaptability of soft legged robots offer great promise for their application in complex environments. This paper presents the design of a modular pneumatic-driven soft tripod robot (MPSTR), where the soft mechanical legs consist of two bending modules with S-shaped curvature structures. Each module comprises three uniformly distributed air chambers and a tube slot, and by introducing constraints from fiber-reinforced structures, each leg possesses planar mobility. To achieve control of the soft mechanical legs, this study establishes both the forward and inverse kinematics of the soft legs, and tests and fits the relationship between input chamber pressure and chamber extension length. To further enhance the performance and stability of the mechanical legs, we construct an experimental platform for the MPSTR, testing the translational capabilities of a single soft leg along the X and Y axes, and analyzing the feasibility of coordinated tripod locomotion and rotation gait planning.

AB - The flexibility and adaptability of soft legged robots offer great promise for their application in complex environments. This paper presents the design of a modular pneumatic-driven soft tripod robot (MPSTR), where the soft mechanical legs consist of two bending modules with S-shaped curvature structures. Each module comprises three uniformly distributed air chambers and a tube slot, and by introducing constraints from fiber-reinforced structures, each leg possesses planar mobility. To achieve control of the soft mechanical legs, this study establishes both the forward and inverse kinematics of the soft legs, and tests and fits the relationship between input chamber pressure and chamber extension length. To further enhance the performance and stability of the mechanical legs, we construct an experimental platform for the MPSTR, testing the translational capabilities of a single soft leg along the X and Y axes, and analyzing the feasibility of coordinated tripod locomotion and rotation gait planning.

KW - Mirrored Bending

KW - Pneumatic-Driven

KW - Soft Mechanical Legs

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DO - 10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

M3 - 会议稿件

AN - SCOPUS:85218490540

SN - 9789819607976

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

SP - 244

EP - 257

BT - Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings

A2 - Lan, Xuguang

A2 - Mei, Xuesong

A2 - Jiang, Caigui

A2 - Zhao, Fei

A2 - Tian, Zhiqiang

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

T2 - 17th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2024

Y2 - 31 July 2024 through 2 August 2024

ER -

Zhang Y, Luan L, Zhang L, Li X, Zheng T , Zhu Y et al. Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot. In Lan X, Mei X, Jiang C, Zhao F, Tian Z, editors, Intelligent Robotics and Applications - 17th International Conference, ICIRA 2024, Proceedings. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2025. p. 244-257. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) ). doi: 10.1007/978-981-96-0798-3_19

Design and Development of a Modular Pneumatic-Driven Soft Tripod Robot

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