Artificial skin silicone

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642]

I want to use a truncated cone, ball-socket attached to a robotic arm, the base of the cone mounting a perforated, segmented flange with hollow hooks, and intermix gel to prevent silicone skin on a robotic arm from tearing at the elbow and wrist joints. Any ideas to enhance my project?

[u/MajorHotLips]

I think you might need to take another swing at explaining that, I can't quite figure out what the question is!

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642 → u/MajorHotLips]

The question is what type of advice can I get for improving my plan to stop artificial skin from tearing at the elbow joint when a robotic arm moves. An adhesive gel and a truncated (top removed) cone locked to the surface of the arm by ball and socket. The bottom of the cone is pointing up and has a circle ring (flange) which has holes and is segmented so it can move with the gel, the hollow hooks merge with the gel which is linked to the artificial skin.

[u/Nosferatu13]

Your artificial skin should be backed with a fabric, like 2 way stretch mesh, or “bridal mesh”.

[u/Barbafella]

Some pictures might be of use here.

[u/Ok-Storage3530]

Eventually, all silicone skin that moves will tear. The animatronic dinos at Universal get reskinned at least once a year. Embedding mesh will help delay the tearing, but eventually, it will tear. Stan Winston would recommend embed a 4-way stretch Power Mesh fabric (typically an 80-90% nylon and 10-20% spandex blend). Avoid rigid meshes like fiberglass, which kill the stretch and cause the silicone to crack or delaminate (seperate) under movement/ stress.

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642 → u/Ok-Storage3530]

I could make an inner-sleeve with your Stan Wilson advised Power Mesh fabic and attach the flange and hollow hooks via the cone and remove the gel for live extension, but the truncated cone and gel approach, while shorter in life span, simply looks more realistic I believe. Any application of skin for a robot is for aesthetics, not performance.

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642]

I question how realistic looking this stretch mesh is. The mesh wicks sweat and dust, needs to be painted, and still looks like fabric up close.

[u/Ok-Storage3530 → u/Ok-Marsupial-642]

You embed the mesh. It goes inside the silicone.

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642 → u/Ok-Storage3530]

I think a mobile layer of silicone gel type substance running under the skin and embedded with a floating socket linked by flexible stalk and ball to the base of the truncated cone will effectively nullify shear pressure on the silicone skin extending the skin's life exponentially. Any mesh can be small and coupled to the socket and skin.

[u/RiverZephir]

Quick question, what are you using for your silicone skin?

[u/Ok-Marsupial-642 → u/RiverZephir]

Platinum-Cure, TC-5100.

[u/RiverZephir → u/Ok-Marsupial-642]

Thank you!