Soft pneumatic actuators have a wide range of applications, including providing haptic feedback embedded in smart garments. Here we investigate actuators fabricated from thermoplastic coated textiles. We measure the effects of fabrication parameters on the robustness and airtightness of small, round pneumatic pouch actuators made from heat-sealed thermoplastic polyurethane-coated nylon, which we call PneuDots. We determine the optimal temperature, time, and pressure for heat-pressing of the textile to create strong bonds and identify the most effective glue to create an airtight seal at the inlet. Compared to elastomeric pneumatic actuators, PneuDots reduce the thickness of the actuator by 96.4% and the mass by 57.2%, increasing their wearability while maintaining a strong force output. We evaluated the force output of the actuators, along with their performance over time. In a blocked force test, PneuDot maximum force transmission was 36.1N, which is 95.3% of the peak force output of an elastomeric pneumatic actuator with the same diameter and pressure. Cyclical testing showed that PneuDots had more stable behavior over time. These results provide best practices for fabrication and indicate the feasibility of textile pneumatic actuators for future wearable applications.

翻译：软体气动致动器具有广泛的应用，包括嵌入智能服装提供触觉反馈。本文研究了由热塑性涂层织物制造的致动器。我们测量了制造参数对小型圆形气动囊致动器（由热封热塑性聚氨酯涂层尼龙制成，我们称之为PneuDots）的鲁棒性和气密性的影响。我们确定了热压织物以形成牢固粘合的最佳温度、时间和压力，并确定了在入口处形成气密密封的最有效粘合剂。与弹性体气动致动器相比，PneuDots将致动器的厚度减少了96.4%，质量减少了57.2%，在保持强大力输出的同时提高了其可穿戴性。我们评估了致动器的力输出及其随时间变化的性能。在阻塞力测试中，PneuDot的最大力传递为36.1N，相当于相同直径和压力下弹性体气动致动器峰值力输出的95.3%。循环测试表明，PneuDots随时间推移表现出更稳定的行为。这些结果为制造提供了最佳实践，并表明了纺织气动致动器在未来可穿戴应用中的可行性。