Human muscle is a complex, non-linear actuator with high output per unit of mass. Although it has been shown that McKibben actuators are a highly practical technology for emulating human muscle, their lack of damping makes it difficult to achieve smooth movements. Control techniques may be used to solve the latter problem, but then performance is limited by the need to accurately estimate velocity. This project will explore improvements in the McKibben actuator technology, that will enable the incorporation of these actuators into a variety of robotic applications.
Benefits: The potential for robots to replace humans in very dangerous and tedious jobs is great. However, the dynamic performance of robot manipulators still falls short of the "biomechanical intelligence" built into the human body. one approach to achieving this intelligence is to mimic the design of the human arm to the greatest extent possible. To this end, improvements in the McKibben actuator should result in better performing manipulators and prosthetic limbs. The market for these devices is large.
Keywords: McKibben muscle actuator robotics manipulator prosthetic limbs McKibben muscle actuator robotics manipulator prosthetic limbs
