Control Board Design

The design of the control board was based on the fluidic control board in the soft robotics toolkit.

A few key differences to note are:

  • Pressure sensors were eliminated to reduce cost.
  • An 8-valve manifold was used to leave room for future expansion.
  • Instead of an on-board compressor, an off-board workshop air compressor supplies the necessary pressurized air.
  • Power is provided by one 12V DC and one 24V DC supply.
  • A sensor shield (daughter board) was used with the microcontroller to make electrical connections easier.
  • Five potentiometers (one for each finger) provide manual control over each actuator.
  • One potentiometer allows you to vary the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) frequency used to control the flow of air to the actuators.
  • A toggle switch allows you to either select manual control with the five potentiometers, or programmed control.
  • A 12-position rotary switch lets you select between twelve different hand positions and gestures.
  • Choice of black for the color is much cooler.

Completed control board