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This paper introduces a novel reconfigurable fabric-based pneumatic actuator that utilizes button-fastened constraint modules to enable rapid, tool-free switching between isotropic expansion, contraction, bending, and twisting actuation modes. The modular design addresses the fixed actuation limitations of traditional soft pneumatic actuators, offering enhanced functional adaptability for soft robotic applications. Experimental validation demonstrates significant actuation capabilities across all modes and the integration of an attachable capacitive tactile sensor, showcasing the system's potential for dynamic task adaptation.
Soft robots can now achieve isotropic expansion, contraction, bending, and twisting on demand with a single actuator body, simply by reconfiguring button-fastened fabric constraints.
Soft pneumatic actuators are widely used in soft robotics. However, their actuation modes are typically fixed by internal chamber designs or reinforcements, making post fabrication reconfiguration difficult. This paper presents a reconfigurable fabric-based pneumatic actuator that enables rapid, tool free, and reusable switching among multiple actuation modes by attaching constraint fabric modules to a buttoned textile sleeve. By rearranging low-stretch constraint parts on a single actuator body, the proposed system realizes four actuation modes isotropic expansion, contraction, bending, and twisting without redesigning or disassembling the actuator.We further introduce an attachable capacitive fabric-based tactile sensor module that can be mounted at arbitrary locations on the actuator surface for task dependent contact sensing. Experiments demonstrated an elongation ratio of 1.2, a maximum bending angle of approximately 60 degrees, and a twisting angle of approximately 90 degrees at 24 kPa, while achieving blocking forces exceeding 10 N across all modes. The tactile sensor exhibited a monotonic, force-dependent increase in capacitance with low hysteresis (approximately 12%) and stable cyclic responses under preload. Finally, we constructed soft robotic arms composed of multiple actuators and demonstrated in situ motion reconfiguration for grasping by changing the attached constraint patterns. These results indicate that the proposed modular constraint and sensing framework improves the functional adaptability of fabric-based soft robots while preserving a simple, robust actuator structure.