Fabrication Process for Twisting Artificial Muscles by Utilizing Braiding Technology and Water-Soluble Fibers

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1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The McKibben artificial muscle is a pneumatic soft actuator consisting of a rubber tube, with fibers covering it. In this study, we propose a new fabrication process to easily realize twisting artificial muscles by utilizing braiding technology and water-soluble fibers based on the McKibben artificial muscle. In the braiding process, half of the sleeve fibers of the artificial muscle are substituted with water-soluble fibers. However, the water-soluble fibers are removed by placing the muscle in warm water to realize a twisting motion. By changing the direction of the fibers, artificial muscles that twist clockwise or counterclockwise can be produced. We believe that the establishment of such a simple and efficient fabrication process will promote to the practical application of artificial muscles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3147-3154
Number of pages8
JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Volume9
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 1 2024

Keywords

  • Soft robot materials and design
  • artificial muscles
  • hydraulic/ pneumatic actuators
  • soft robotics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Control and Optimization
  • Artificial Intelligence

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