Description
Soft and flexible robotic manipulators can easily adapt to a variety of environments due to their compliance. Although this flexibility can be a huge advantage in many situations, soft robots have infinite degrees of freedom and are difficult to control. In addition, few soft manipulators have been created that are capable of proprioception without external sensing, and those that have this capability often require very precisely manufactured sensors. This work presents an analysis of four easily manufactured or purchased sensors, design and fabrication of a soft tentacle actuator, and the integration of embedded sensors into the soft robotic system with the goal of proprioceptive capabilities.