| Abstrakt: |
Soft pneumatic actuators are compliant devices that can convert the input pneumatic energy into the output mechanical motions, which can be implanted into animal/human bodies or can be used as alternatives for traditional actuators. They possess unique features, including but not limited to high compliance, lightweight, easy to process, high power density, and being comparable to skeletal muscles. Fiber-shaped pneumatic actuators are inherently advantageous because they combine the breathability, conformability, strength, and stability of textiles with smart functionalities. They have great potentials to be used in wearable electronics, body inspection, supporting microsurgery, orthoses, and prostheses. The McKibben artificial muscle is a well-known cylindrical pneumatic soft robot, which consists of a cylindrical elastomeric bladder wrapped by a braided sleeve. The outside braided sleeve is a very critical part since it has a unique structure that shortens while expanding in circumference. Unlike most other soft robots that expand upon stimulation, McKibben artificial muscles can contract in the longitudinal direction and expand in the radial direction while inflating. These robotic movements are rather similar to those generated by humans or other vertebrates' muscles. In past decades, McKibben artificial muscles have been recognized to have the potential to be miniaturized into the fiber shape that can be further integrated into fabrics. However, most reported works focused on macro-sized devices (outside diameter >1.5mm). They are not suitable for wearable devices due to the limited compliance and difficulty of fiber controlling in the fabric formation process. In this work, we fabricated ultrafine pneumatic fiber actuators (PFA) (outside diameter <1mm) and developed a fabric actuator using PFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
