Research background

Common actuators, such as electromagnetic motors and hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders, are made of highly rigid materials to achieve high-speed and high-precision operation. In the meanwhile, pneumatic artificial muscles are soft actuators composed of rubber and fibers and are characterized by high safety based on their flexibility. Because of their characteristics, it is expected that they will be introduced into mechanical systems that require affinity with humans, such as rehabilitation tools and power assist devices.
 

Purposes and description of the research

In this research, we are working to incorporate a sensor into a pneumatic artificial muscle, aiming to improve the convenience of pneumatic artificial muscles. Focusing on the fibers that make up a pneumatic artificial muscle, we have replaced the fibers with functional fibers to achieve a structure in which the components of the actuator directly function as a sensor. We have also established an easy manufacturing process by incorporating braided cord manufacturing technology. We have developed a pneumatic artificial muscle that can estimate its own driving displacement by using conductive fibers and optical fibers.