JAMMit! Monolithic 3D-Printing of a Bead Jamming Soft Pneumatic Arm

Abstract: 3D-printed bellow soft pneumatic arms are widely adopted for their flexible design, ease of fabrication, and large deformation capabilities. However, their low stiffness limits their real-world applications. Although several methods exist to enhance the stiffness of soft actuators, many involve complex manufacturing processes not in line with modern goals of monolithic and automated additive manufacturing. With its simplicity, bead-jamming represents a simple and effective solution to these challenges. This work introduces a method for monolithic printing of a bellow soft pneumatic arm, integrating a tendon-driven central spine of bowl-shaped beads. We experimentally characterized the arm's range of motion in both unjammed and jammed states, as well as its stiffness under various actuation and jamming conditions. As a result, we provide an optimal jamming policy as a trade-off between preserving the range of motion and maximizing stiffness. The proposed design was further demonstrated in a switch-toggling task, showing its potential for practical applications.