Artificial muscles

Seminar: New artificial intelligence

(Prof. Rolf Pfeifer, Chandana Paul)

Thomas Franken – thomas.franken@uni-konstanz.de

Boris Neubert – boris.neubert@uni-konstanz.de

Table of content
• Biological basics
• Pneumatic actuators – Mc Kibben muscle
• Series elastic actuators
• Shape memory alloys
• EAPs
– Piezoelectric effect
– Contractile polymers
– Nanotubes
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 Biological basics

- Muscle positions
- Antagonist – Agonist
- Structure of muscles
- Energy storage
- Sensors and Reflex

Muscles in a human body

Muscles are connected to

the bones with tendons

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Antagonist & Agonist

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Structure of muscles

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 Basic concepts
- All-Or-Nothing principal is
valid for one fibre

If impulse is strong enough,

more fibres will be excited

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Energy-storage with elasticity

• Energy can only be stored in elastic
materials

• Example: Kangoroos store energy from

jumping in their legs, to re-use it for next
jump.

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 Muscles as sensors
• Spindles in muscles as sensors
- stretch of spindles without voluntary
movement causes a contraction
Æ Reflex reaction

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Reflex I
• Reflex as involuntary movement of muscles.

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 Reflex II
Feedforward
over the
spinal cord

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Functionalities of biol. muscles

• Generate force
• Consumption of force

• Transmission of force
• Storage of energy

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The autonomous Musclesystem
Control

Energy

Agonist
Tendonsystem Tendonsystem
Musclefibres Spindles

Tendonsystem Tendonsystem
Antagonist

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Pneumatic actuators

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 Pneumatic actuators
imitate contraction
Mc Kibben muscle developed in the 1950´s:
Primary objectives:
• orthotic appliance for polio patients
• artificial limbs for amputees

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Pneumatic actuators
imitate contraction

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 Pneumatic actuators
imitate contraction
Consists of an internal tube (shape memory polymer):

Bladder is covered by a braided mesh shell:

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Pneumatic actuators
how it works

Inner tube is inflated

and the woven material expands
vertically. MOVIE MOVIE2

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 Pneumatic actuators
Mc Kibben - Anthroform arm

Workgroup of Prof. Nachtigal, Uni-Saarbrücken artificial muscles 19

Pneumatic actuators
Mc Kibben - Anthroform arm

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 Pneumatic actuators
Mc Kibben – elbow joint

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Pneumatic actuators
comparison with biological muscle
Achievements so far:
High force to weight ratio
Lightweight
Smooth movements
Force-length properties
Elastic properties

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Pneumatic actuators
Achievements

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Pneumatic actuators

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 Pneumatic actuators
failure

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Pneumatic actuators
further development
• Implement a damper into the muscle to get
the right velocity – force ratio
• Spindle like sensors

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Series elastic actuator
imitate elasticity

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Series elastic elements

Anthropomorphic Arm

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 Series elastic + McKibben

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Series elastic elements

• Vibration damping

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 Series elastic actuator
Elasticity in the actuator:

MIT - LegLab artificial muscles 31

Series elastic actuator 3

cog

cog-300[1].mov

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 Series elastic actuator
cog - sensors
Strain gauges:

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Series elastic actuator

PROs:
• Position tolerance
• Interaction with humans
• Backlash free joints are not required
• Damage/force tolerant

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 Series elastic actuator
Elasticity vs. Stiffness
Positioning problem vs. Force control

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Shape Memory Alloys

Properties:
Ability to return to a predetermined shape
when heated.
When an SMA is cold, it can be deformed
quiete easily.
When it is heated, it will return to the
original shape

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 Shape Memory Alloys
Nitinol
• Good electrical and mechanical properties
• Forces: wire (0,020 inches diameter) lifts 16 pounds
• Actuator, sensor and heater all in one material

BUT only a good solution for small applications.

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Shape Memory Alloys

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 Examples of SMA products
• Gas flow micro valves
• Non explosive release devices

• Tactile feedback devices (skin simulators)

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Examples of SMA products

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Examples of SMA products
Smart skin

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EAP – electroactive polymers

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Discovery of Piezoelectric Effects
• 1880 Curie Brothers (existence)
• 1916 Langevin found piezoelectric
characteristics in quartz crystals
• 1925 in PVDF (PolyVinylDiFlourid)

~ Piezoelectric Matierials~

Properties of piezo
Piezoelectric Materials can be used as Sensor
and Actuator in one

Electric impuls transformed in Sound

Sound transformed in electric impuls

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 Usage of piezoelectric Mat.
• Microphones
• Speakers
• Sensors in any area of application
• Emulation of human limbs for Example
a hand .

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The reinforcement of Piezo

Materials
• Deflection is too low
Æ Amplified mechanically

Artificial wing

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 Gel-based Actuators
contractile polymers

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Nanotechnology using
electroactive Polymers
• Exciting effects can be realized in
electric,
chemical,
thermal,
pneumatic,
optical and
magnetic ways.
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 Nanotubes

Carbon atoms are arranged in honeycomb

pattern and join to a strong and stable sytem.

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Exciting Nanotubes
• Optical exciting reaches an contraction of
the tube in the activation area
• Electric exciting was realized with the
„Bucky Paper“, thousends of Nanotube
groups pressed together as a sheet of paper.

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 Bucky Paper Experiment
• The Bucky Paper was set on a double-sided
sticky

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Discussion points
For AM the energy input and the conroler
input are the same (in biol. muscles energy
is stored via ATP in the muscle itself)

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