The design and mathematical modelling of novel extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscles (EBPAMs) for soft exoskeletons

Al-Fahaam, Hassanin; Davis, Steve; Nefti‐Meziani, Samia

doi:10.1016/j.robot.2017.10.010

Cited by 92 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…An inherent limitation of this approach in certain applications is response time. However, actuators and robots prepared from these materials are particularly suited for end uses that manipulate or handle soft or delicate objects 283,285…”

Section: Pneumatics and Hydraulicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Materials as Machines

2020

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of responsive materials as machines is in robotics. The vision, leadership, and research of Bar-Cohen is seminal in both invigorating and focusing current-day research activities to develop responsive materials [2] and implement [3] them as lightweight, dexterous, and gentle (e.g., soft) robotic elements. In this spirit, this review exhaustively details the materials, the nature of their stimuli-response, and discusses considerations for their implementation in robotic systems and subsystems.Robotics is a well-established but growing field of research. Sustained progress in both performance and functionality continue to be realized in commercial robotic systems largely based on conventional materials and their integration with mechanisms. A recent example is the Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics [4] (Figure 1a). The incorporation of stimuli-responsive materials in robotics has largely focused on component-level demonstrations to extend the performance of a subsystem (such as a hand or gripper).Stimuli-responsive materials, spanning nearly all classes of materials and size scales, are currently subject to widespread examination in corporate, government, and academic research laboratories (Figure 1b-d). [5][6][7] In some cases, these materials have already found widespread commercial implementation in end use and are comparatively mature. The materials and fundamentals of their responses are summarized in Figure 2. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) and ceramic piezoelectric materials are distinctive in that they are hard, stimuli-responsive materials. Deformation of these materials can produce large energy densities due to their inherent stiffness. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) remain a topic of considerable interest, particularly dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). Engineered systems are rapidly emerging and enabling performance gains in robotics, largely based on pneumatic or fluidic (such as HASEL [8] actuators) transport processes that localize deformation to generate force or produce motion. Soft materials, such as shape memory polymers (SMPs), hydrogels, and liquid crystalline polymer networks (LCNs) and elastomers (LCEs) may offer distinctive functional performance to robotic systems in allowing local control of deformation without the need for complex interfacing with mechanisms. As will be evident, each of these materials has inherent advantages and performance tradeoffs that must be considered in functional implementations. However, responsive material systems have a common obstacle to widespread use: the performance and Machines are systems that harness input power to extend or advance function. Fundamentally, machines are based on the integration of materials with mechanisms to accomplish tasks-such as generating motion or lifting an object. An emerging research paradigm is the design, synthesis, and integration of responsive materials within or as machines. Herein, a particular focus is the integration of responsive materials to enable robotic (machine) functions such as gripping, lifting, or motility (walk...

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Section: Pneumatics and Hydraulicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Materials as Machines

2020

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“…The pMA can be either contraction or extension muscle and the braided angle θ defines the type of actuator [15,16]. Since, the bending is the required behaviour, the self-bending contraction actuator (SBCA) by Al-Ibadi, et al [17] and the extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscles (EBPAMs) by Al-Fahaam, et al [18] are used.…”

Section: Pneumatic Muscle Actuatormentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Elbow Pneumatic Muscle Actuator for Exoskeleton Arm in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Irshaidat

Soufian

Al-Ibadi

et al. 2019

2019 2nd IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)

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Rehabilitation interventions play a vital role especially in most post-stroke care. Many rehabilitation robotic devices have been designed and developed to assist many individuals suffering from stroke or similar disabling illness and living with reduced mobility of the arms, hands and other joint. However, these devices remain unmanageable to use by the patients alone not only because they are cumbersome to use but also due to their weights, fix and non-portable characteristics, and so on. Here for elbow joint rehabilitation, we investigate and propose a novel exoskeleton soft robotic arm, which is wearable, lightweight and portable so that it would allow patients to perform repetitive motion therapy more often with a greater intensity in their homes and relevant to their daily activities. The proposed arm consists of various novel pneumatic Muscle Actuators (pMA) capable of bending in contrary to traditional pMA. Analysis, design, integration and characterisation of the proposed arm are presented and geometrical and numerical models are obtained. Various experiments revealed its behaviour and the relationship among pressure, length, force, and bending angle in different setups such as isotonic and isometric. The nonlinear, time varying and intractable dynamic of the constructed prototype demanded the design and development of an appropriate closed loop controller for adhering to target rehabilitation profiles. As proof of the concept a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) was designed and results were presented. By achieving design objectives, this study shows that the proposed portable exoskeleton has the ability to offer more effective intense rehabilitation therapies at home without the need to therapists and with a lower cost.

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“…This was experimentally shown to sustain 100,000 cycles while producing a torque proportional to the pressure. An extensible pneumatic actuator using a McKibben-type braid was transformed into a bending actuator by adding a longitudinal inextensible fiber for a hand exoskeleton application [21]. The braid allows for operating pressures of up to 500 kPa, resulting in tip forces of up to 4.3 kg.…”

Section: Fiber Reinforcementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sleeved Bending Actuators for Soft Grippers: A Durable Solution for High Force-to-Weight Applications

2018

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Soft grippers are known for their ability to interact with objects that are fragile, soft or of an unknown shape, as well as humans in collaborative robotics applications. However, state-of-the-art soft grippers lack either payload capacity or durability, which limits their use in industrial applications. In fact, high force density pneumatic soft grippers require high strain and operating pressure, both of which impair their durability. This work presents a new sleeved bending actuator for soft grippers that is capable of high force density and durability. The proposed actuator is based on design principles previously proven to improve the life of pneumatic artificial muscles, where a sleeve provides a uniform reinforcement that reduces local stresses and strains in the inflated membrane. The sleeved bending actuator features a silicone membrane and an external two-material sleeve that can support high pressures while providing a flexible grip. The proposed sleeved bending actuators are validated through two grippers, sized according to foreseen soft gripper applications: A small gripper for drone perching and lightweight food manipulation, and a larger one for the manipulation of heavy material (>5 kg) of various weights and sizes. Performance assessment shows that these grippers have payloads up to 5.2 kg and 20 kg, respectively. Durability testing of the grippers demonstrates that the grippers have an expected lifetime ranging from 263,000 cycles to more than 700,000 cycles. The grippers are tested in various settings, including the integration of a gripper into a Phantom 2 quadcopter, a perching demonstration, as well as the gripping of light and heavy food items. Experiments show that sleeved bending actuators constitute a promising avenue for durable and strong soft grippers.

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The design and mathematical modelling of novel extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscles (EBPAMs) for soft exoskeletons

Cited by 92 publications

References 38 publications

Materials as Machines

Materials as Machines

A Novel Elbow Pneumatic Muscle Actuator for Exoskeleton Arm in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Sleeved Bending Actuators for Soft Grippers: A Durable Solution for High Force-to-Weight Applications

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