Programmable Nonwoven Fabric‐Based Soft Pneumatic Actuators With Integrated Self‐Sensing Functionality

ABSTRACT The advanced sensory and actuating capabilities observed in various natural organisms inspire researchers to develop self‐sensing soft actuators. However, most traditional soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) are primarily focused on actuation and lack real‐time feedback for the sensed signals. Herein, we present a promising approach for fabricating programmable nonwoven fabric‐based soft pneumatic actuators (PNPAs), which exhibit encoded deformation capabilities via customized constraint‐line patterning and integrated self‐sensing functions. As a proof‐of‐concept application, a soft gripper is developed with PNPAs, remarkably for performing complex motion trajectories through pre‐programming design. The uneven surface and porous structure of the nonwoven fabric increase the contact area between the crossing and sensing electrodes upon the application of mechanical stress. This forms an efficient conductive network in the fabric, yielding a highly sensitive nonwoven‐based pressure sensor (NPS). NPSs can be closely integrated with the PNPAs to gain self‐sensing function, which allows the detection of every motion of the PNPAs through monitoring their deformation. In summary, the proposed self‐sensing soft actuator presents valuable insights for the advancement of smart soft robotics and other artificial intelligence devices.