# US 2022/0030985 A1 · Soft actuator and method of making the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0030985 A1 - Document ID: US20220030985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/275,731 - Filed: 2019-09-13 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-14 - Assignees: The Regents of the University of California - Applicants: The Regents of the University of California - Inventors: Yon VISELL; Elliot HAWKES; Do Thanh NHO; Mengjia ZHU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220030985A1 ## CPC - A61F 2/50: Prostheses not implantable in the body {(closure means for urethra or rectum or for artificial body openings therefor A61F2/0004)} - G08B 6/00: Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems - A43B 3/34: with electrical or electronic arrangements - A43B 7/18: Joint supports, e.g. instep supports - A43B 23/0285: {filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel or water} - A43B 23/029: {Pneumatic upper, e.g. gas filled} - A61F 2/68: Operating or control means - A61F 2/74: fluid {, i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic} - A61F 2/76: Means for assembling, fitting or testing prostheses, e.g. for measuring or balancing - A61F 5/0118: {for the arms, hands or fingers} - A61F 13/08: Elastic stockings; for contracting aneurisms - A61F 13/104: {for the hands or fingers (A61F13/107 takes precedence)} - F15B 15/103: {using inflatable bodies that contract when fluid pressure is applied, e.g. pneumatic artificial muscles or McKibben-type actuators} - A61B 2017/00526: {Methods of manufacturing} - A61B 2017/00535: {pneumatically or hydraulically operated (A61B2017/22051, A61B2090/401 take precedence)} - A61F 2002/501: {having an inflatable pocket filled with fluid, i.e. liquid or gas} - A61F 2002/503: {for adjusting elasticity, flexibility, spring rate or mechanical tension} - A61F 2002/5032: {for adjusting fluid pressure} - A61F 2002/5066: {Muscles} - A61F 2002/7635: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension} - A61F 2005/0155: {with actuating means} - A61F 2005/0188: {having pressure sensors} - A61H 9/00: Pneumatic or hydraulic massage - A61H 2201/1409: Hydraulic or pneumatic means - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2205/06: Arms - A61H 2205/10: Leg - B25J 9/1075: {with muscles or tendons} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A selectively actuated textile includes one or more pieces of fabric having one or more circumferentially constrained channels and one or more hollow elastic tubes located within the circumferentially constrained channels and configured to receive a working fluid. Selectively providing or removing working fluid from the hollow elastic tubes provides for selective actuation of the textile. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of fabricating a soft actuator, the method comprising: stacking two or more layers of fabric adjacent to one another; forming one or more channels between the stacked layers of fabric, wherein the channels provide a circumferential constraint; placing one or more hollow elastic tubes within the one or more channels; and connecting at least a first end of each of the one or more hollow elastic tubes to a delivery system capable of providing a working fluid to the one or more hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: sealing a second end of each of the one or more hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: connecting the second end of each of the one or more hollow elastic tubes to the delivery system capable of providing a working fluid to the one or more hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more layers of fabric are non-stretch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more layers of fabric are two-way stretch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein forming the one or more channels between the stacked layers of fabric includes stitching the two or more layers of fabric together using a side-stitch to form the one or more channels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the stitching is provided in a direction transverse to a direction of lengthening, wherein the direction of lengthening is along a length of the hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein forming the one or more channels between the stacked layers of fabric includes stitching the two or more layers of fabric together using a cross-stitch to form the one or more channels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein forming the one or more channels between the stacked layers of fabric includes gluing the two or more layers of fabric together. ### Claim 10 A selectively actuated textile comprising: one or more pieces of fabric, wherein the one or more pieces of fabric include one or more channels formed within the one or more pieces of fabric and constrained in a circumferential direction; and one or more first hollow elastic tubes positioned within the one or more channels and configured to receive a working fluid, wherein working fluid is selectively provided to or removed from the one or more first hollow elastic tubes to actuate the selectively actuated textile. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the fabric is elastic and allowed to stretch in response to the working fluid being selectively provided to the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the fabric is inelastic, wherein the fabric is bunched to allow the selectively actuated textile to lengthen in response to the working fluid being selectively provided to the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the one or more first hollow elastic tubes includes a first plurality of hollow elastic tubes positioned parallel to one another along a length of the selectively actuated textile. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the one or more channels is fabricated utilizing stitching along edges of each of the one or more channels. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the selectively actuated textile has a length, wherein the length changes in response to the working fluid being selectively provided to or removed from the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The selectively actuated textile of claim 15, wherein the length of the selectively actuated textile increases in response to working fluid being selectively provided to the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, wherein the selectively actuated textile is fixed on a first end, wherein a second end is actuated in response to the working fluid being selectively provided to or removed from the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, further including: a strain sensor positioned in close proximity to the one or more hollow elastic tubes, wherein the strain sensor provides feedback regarding force or displacement applied by the selectively actuated textile. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, further including: a passive layer of stiff material that is stitched to the actuated textile, wherein the passive layer enables out-of-plane bending. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The selectively actuated textile of claim 10, further including one or more second hollow elastic tubes oriented at an angle with respect to the one or more first hollow elastic tubes. ### Claim 21 A haptic feedback garment comprising: one or more soft actuators embedded within the haptic feedback garment, wherein each actuator includes a hollow elastic tube configured to receive a working fluid; one or more tubes, wherein each tube is connected on a first end to an input associated with each of the soft actuators; and one or more pumps, wherein each pump is configured to provide a working fluid to one of the one or more soft actuators via one of the one or more tubes, wherein application of the working fluid to the soft actuator provides a haptic response to a user wearing the haptic feedback garment. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The haptic feedback garment of claim 21, wherein the one or more soft actuators include a channel constrained in a circumferential direction, wherein the hollow elastic tube is positioned within the channel. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The haptic feedback garment of claim 21, wherein the haptic feedback garment is a glove having a plurality of fingers, wherein each finger includes one or more embedded soft actuators. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The haptic feedback garment of claim 21, wherein the haptic feedback garment is a sleeve or band and wherein each of the soft actuators is positioned circumferentially around the sleeve or band, wherein removal of fluid from the one or more soft actuators provides a compressive force to the sleeve or band.