Journal articles on the topic 'Wearable Actuator'
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Lee, Hyewon, So Won Jeong, Im Hyobin, and Jung-Sim Roh. "Design and fabrication of wearable male-type radio button-shaped vibrotactile actuators." Textile Research Journal 90, no. 3-4 (August 8, 2019): 422–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0040517519868173.
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Vibrotactile actuators have been studied in a variety of wearables that require actuation feedback because of their accurate and rapid feedback. To provide robust and reliable feedback to users, wearable vibration actuators must be seamlessly integrated into smart clothing to deliver vibrotactile stimulation of the appropriate intensity. In order to solve the vibration attenuation problem due to clothing fabric, and seamlessly integrate the actuator, wearable male-type radio button-shaped vibrotactile actuators (WMVAs) were designed and fabricated. The WMVAs were designed with a structure in which a linear resonant actuator was housed in a stud, and vibration was passed through the fabric and transferred to the skin through the cap. Three WMVAs were fabricated, one with a cap of standard size and thickness, the second with a thicker cap than the standard, and the third with a wider cap than the standard. In order to investigate the vibration transmission performance of the WMVA, vibration perception experiments were performed on various body parts of the subjects. As a result, the vibration perception of the WMVA was statistically significant in all tested body parts. Using the WMVA, the mean value of vibration perception was 2.743, while that without a cap and stud was 2.062. The mean value of the vibration perception of the actuator with a cap 2.78 times thicker is 2.736, compared with the standard actuator value of 2.512. The average value of vibration perception of an actuator with a 2.78 times larger cap than the standard size is 2.743.
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Shimooka, So, Tetsuya Akagi, Shujiro Dohta, Takashi Shinohara, and Takumi Kobayashi. "Development of a Spiral Shaped Soft Holding Actuator Using Extension Type Flexible Pneumatic Actuators." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 34, no. 2 (April 20, 2022): 373–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2022.p0373.
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Recently, several pneumatic soft actuators have been applied to wearable and welfare devices to provide nursing care and physical support for the elderly and disabled. In this study, as a wearable soft actuator for holding body, a spiral shaped soft holding actuator that can wrap a user according to their body shape was proposed and tested. The construction and operating principle of the tested soft actuator with circumferential restraint mechanism using three extension type flexible pneumatic actuators (EFPAs) has been discussed. As a result, it was found that the tested actuator could hold elbows and knees when the joint is in motion. An analytical model of the spiral actuator was also proposed to achieve an optimal design. It can be confirmed that the proposed analytical model can predict the shape of the actuator when various EFPAs are pressurized.
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Copaci, Dorin-Sabin, Dolores Blanco, Alejandro Martin-Clemente, and Luis Moreno. "Flexible shape memory alloy actuators for soft robotics: Modelling and control." International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems 17, no. 1 (January 1, 2020): 172988141988674. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1729881419886747.
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One of the limitations in the development of really soft robotic devices is the development of soft actuators. In recent years, our research group has developed a new flexible shape memory alloy actuator that provides more freedom of movements and a better integration in wearable robots, especially in soft wearable robots. Shape memory alloy wires present characteristics such as force/weight ratio, low weight, and noiseless actuation, which make them an ideal choice in these types of applications. However, the control strategy must take into account its complex dynamics due to thermal phase transformation. Different control approaches based on complex non-linear models and other model-free control methods have been tested on real systems. Some exoskeleton prototypes have been developed, which demonstrate the utility of this actuator and the advantages offered by these flexible actuators to improve the comfort and adaptability of exoskeletons.
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Murphy, Vaughan, Brandon P. R. Edmonds, and Ana Luisa Trejos. "Characterisation and Control of a Woven Biomimetic Actuator for Wearable Neurorehabilitative Devices." Actuators 10, no. 2 (February 19, 2021): 37. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act10020037.
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Twisted coiled actuators (TCAs) are a type of soft actuator made from polymer fibres such as nylon sewing thread. As they provide motion in a compact, lightweight, and flexible package, they provide a solution to the actuation of wearable mechatronic devices for motion assistance. Their limitation is that they provide low total force, requiring them to actuate in parallel with multiple units. Previous literature has shown that the force and stroke production can be improved by incorporating them into fabric meshes. A fabric mesh could also improve the contraction efficiency, strain rate, and user comfort. Therefore, this study focused on measuring these performance metrics for a set of TCAs embedded into a woven fabric mesh. The experimental results show that the stroke of the actuators scaled linearly with the number of activated TCAs, achieving a maximum applied force of 11.28 N, a maximum stroke of 12.23%, and an efficiency of 1.8%. Additionally, two control methods were developed and evaluated, resulting in low overshoot and steady-state error. These results indicate that the designed actuators are viable for use in wearable mechatronic devices, since they can scale to meet different requirements, while being able to be accurately controlled with minimal additional components.
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Leonardis, Daniele, Luca Tiseni, Domenico Chiaradia, and Antonio Frisoli. "A Twisted String, Flexure Hinges Approach for Design of a Wearable Haptic Thimble." Actuators 10, no. 9 (August 29, 2021): 211. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act10090211.
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Wearable haptic devices in the shape of actuated thimbles are used to render the sense of touch in teleoperation and virtual reality scenarios. The design of similar devices has to comply with concurring requirements and constraints: lightweight and compactness, intensity and bandwidth of the rendered signals. Micro-sized motors require a mechanical reduction to increase the output force, at the cost of noise and vibrations introduced by conventional gear reducers. Here we propose a different actuation method, based on a miniaturized twisted string actuator and a flexure hinge transmission mechanism. The latter is required to transmit and transform the pulling force of the twist actuator to a pushing force of the plate in contact with the fingerpad. It achieves a lightweight and noiseless actuation in a compact mechanism. In this work, we present design guidelines of the proposed approach, optimization, and FEM analysis of the flexure hinge mechanism, implementation of the prototype, and experimental characterization of the twist actuator measuring frequency response and output force capabilities.
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Song, Lee, Park, and Baek. "Design and Performance of Nonlinear Control for an Electro-Hydraulic Actuator Considering a Wearable Robot." Processes 7, no. 6 (June 21, 2019): 389. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pr7060389.
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In the development of a wearable robot, compact volume size, high energy efficiency, and a high load capacity linear actuator system are necessary. However, conventional hydraulic actuator systems are difficult to apply to wearable robots. Also, they have nonlinearities because of the presence of hydraulic fluid in a single rod cylinder. Electric linear actuators resolve the problems of hydraulic systems. However, due to their low load capacity, they are not easy to apply to wearable robots. In this paper, a pump-controlled electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) system that considers the disadvantages of the hydraulic actuator and electric actuator is proposed for a wearable robot. Initially, a locking circuit design is considered for the EHA to give the system load holding capacity. Based on the developed model, the adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) scheme is designed to resolve the nonlinearity problem of changes in the dynamic system. The ASMC scheme is then modeled and verified with Simulink. In order to verify the performance of the proposed adaptive control with the model, experiments are conducted. The proposed EHA verifies that the ASMC reaches the target value well despite the existence of many model uncertainties.
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Akagi, Tetsuya, and Shujiro Dohta. "Development of Wearable Pneumatic Actuator and Multiport Pressure Control Valve." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 17, no. 5 (October 20, 2005): 529–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2005.p0529.
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Recently, force feedback devices in virtual reality and power assisted nursing care systems have received much attention and active research. Some involve an actuator and a driving device, such as a pneumatic cylinder and a control valve, worn by the user. Such devices must be compact, lightweight and flexible to avoid excessive load on and injury to the user. The purpose of our study is to develop a flexible and lightweight actuator which can be safe enough to be attached to the human body. We proposed new flexible pneumatic actuators that operate even if the actuator is deformed by external force. We tested a push-pull and flexible pneumatic actuator that moves straight and rotates. We proposed and developed a multiport pressure control valve that drives multiple wearable actuators while reducing the weight of the control valve for multiple degrees of freedom of motion.
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Elmoughni, Hend M., Ayse Feyza Yilmaz, Kadir Ozlem, Fidan Khalilbayli, Leonardo Cappello, Asli Tuncay Atalay, Gökhan Ince, and Ozgur Atalay. "Machine-Knitted Seamless Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robotics: Design, Fabrication, and Characterization." Actuators 10, no. 5 (April 30, 2021): 94. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act10050094.
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Computerized machine knitting offers an attractive fabrication technology for incorporating wearable assistive devices into garments. In this work, we utilized, for the first time, whole-garment knitting techniques to manufacture a seamless fully knitted pneumatic bending actuator, which represents an advancement to existing cut-and-sew manufacturing techniques. Various machine knitting parameters were investigated to create anisotropic actuator structures, which exhibited a range of bending and extension motions when pressurized with air. The functionality of the actuator was demonstrated through integration into an assistive glove for hand grip action. The achieved curvature range when pressurizing the actuators up to 150 kPa was sufficient to grasp objects down to 3 cm in diameter and up to 125 g in weight. This manufacturing technique is rapid and scalable, paving the way for mass-production of customizable soft robotics wearables.
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Saga, N., J. Nagase, and T. Saikawa. "Pneumatic Artificial Muscles Based on Biomechanical Characteristics of Human Muscles." Applied Bionics and Biomechanics 3, no. 3 (2006): 191–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2006/427569.
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This article reports the pneumatic artificial muscles based on biomechanical characteristics of human muscles. A wearable device and a rehabilitation robot that assist a human muscle should have characteristics similar to those of human muscle. In addition, since the wearable device and the rehabilitation robot should be light, an actuator with a high power to weight ratio is needed. At present, the McKibben type is widely used as an artificial muscle, but in fact its physical model is highly nonlinear. Therefore, an artificial muscle actuator has been developed in which high-strength carbon fibres have been built into the silicone tube. However, its contraction rate is smaller than the actual biological muscles. On the other hand, if an artificial muscle that contracts axially is installed in a robot as compactly as the robot hand, big installing space is required. Therefore, an artificial muscle with a high contraction rate and a tendon-driven system as a compact actuator were developed, respectively. In this study, we report on the basic structure and basic characteristics of two types of actuators.
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Zhang, Liancun, Qiang Huang, Kangjian Cai, Zhiheng Wang, Wenkang Wang, and Juan Liu. "A Wearable Soft Knee Exoskeleton Using Vacuum-Actuated Rotary Actuator." IEEE Access 8 (2020): 61311–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.2983790.
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Ortega-Santos, Amaia Beatriz, Yaxin Qiu, Jose Gabriel Martinez, and Edwin W. H. Jager. "Enzymatic Biofuel Cells Embedded Polymer-Based Soft Actuators." ECS Meeting Abstracts MA2022-02, no. 54 (October 9, 2022): 2035. http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/ma2022-02542035mtgabs.
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Enzymatic biofuel cells are presented as an untethered alternative energy source that could power small implantable or wearable medical devices. However, most of these catalytic processes do not provide with enough energy to power common small electronic-mechanical devices. On the other hand, conducting polymer-based actuators are of great interest for their biocompatibility, flexibility, processability, possibility to be miniaturized and low power consumption. So far, these artificial muscles have been driven by external power sources that prevent them for being completely autonomous. There is a need for a novel power source to elaborate actuators that could use physiological processes as a driving force. These soft actuators’ low power consumption matches the electrical power generated by the biocatalysis of some enzymes, such as glucose oxidase and laccase in presence of glucose and oxygen in aqueous media. Here, we present the latest results in the development of polypyrrole-based soft actuators powered by enzymatic biofuel cells. The actuator consists of a tri-layer conductive substrate on which the polypyrrole is electrodeposited in both sides. The polypyrrole layers act as the active part, expanding and contracting upon a redox reaction, resulting in a bending movement. Tetrathiofulvlene-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ) and 2,2′-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid) (ABTS) electron transfer mediators are cast on the surface of the polypyrrole to help the electron transmission. The glucose oxidase and laccase enzymes are immobilized in the modified-conducting polymer surface, integrating the electrode to the actuator. The bio-catalysis of enzymes in presence of glucose and oxygen in aqueous solution provides the actuator with the electrons needed for the redox reaction, converting the chemical energy into mechanical energy, i.e., movement. The glucose-self-powered soft actuator may contribute to the development of more complex implantable, ingestible, or wearable biomedical devices such as cardio-stimulators, insulin pumps, or muscle implants.
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Park, Minjeong, Joohee Kim, Hanjung Song, Seonpil Kim, and Minhyon Jeon. "Fast and Stable Ionic Electroactive Polymer Actuators with PEDOT:PSS/(Graphene–Ag-Nanowires) Nanocomposite Electrodes." Sensors 18, no. 9 (September 16, 2018): 3126. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s18093126.
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Ionic electroactive polymer (IEAP) actuators that are driven by electrical stimuli have been widely investigated for use in practical applications. However, conventional electrodes in IEAP actuators have a serious drawback of poor durability under long-term actuation in open air, mainly because of leakage of the inner electrolyte and hydrated cations through surface cracks on the metallic electrodes. To overcome this problem, a top priority is developing new high-performance ionic polymer actuators with graphene electrodes that have superior mechanical, electrical conductivity, and electromechanical properties. However, the task is made difficultby issues such as the low electrical conductivity of graphene (G). The percolation network of silver nanowires (Ag-NWs) is believed to enhance the conductivity of graphene, while poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), which exhibits excellent stability under ambient conditions, is expected to improve the actuation performance of IEAP actuators. In this study, we developed a very fast, stable, and durable IEAP actuator by employing electrodes made of a nanocomposite comprising PEDOT:PSS and graphene–Ag-NWs (P/(G–Ag)). The cost-effective P/(G–Ag) electrodes with high electrical conductivity displayed a smooth surface resulting from the PEDOT:PSS coating, which prevented oxidation of the surface upon exposure to air, and showedstrong bonding between the ionic polymer and the electrode surface. More interestingly, the proposed IEAP actuator based on the P/G–Ag electrode can be used in active biomedical devices, biomimetic robots, wearable electronics, and flexible soft electronics.
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Li, Xiangpan, Toshiro Noritsugu, Masahiro Takaiwa, and Daisuke Sasaki. "Design of Wearable Power Assist Wear for Low Back Support Using Pneumatic Actuators." International Journal of Automation Technology 7, no. 2 (March 5, 2013): 228–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/ijat.2013.p0228.
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This research focuses on developing a safe, lightweight, power assist device that can be worn by people during lifting or static holding tasks to prevent them from experiencing Low Back Pain (LBP). In consideration of their flexibility, light weight, and large force to weight ratio, two types of pneumatic actuators are employed in assisting low back movement for their safety and comfort. Actuator A is an elongation-type pneumatic rubber artificial muscle that is installed in the outer layer of the garment. Its two ends are fixed on the shoulders and thighs. It can output contractile force, assisting the erector spinae muscles in the same direction. Compared to McKibben-type pneumatic rubber artificial muscle, the elongation type has a larger contraction rate. Actuator B is a layer-type of pneumatic actuator; it is composed of two balloons, and it is installed in the inner layer of the garment. By taking into account the biomechanic structure of the human spine, this device can provide support in two ways. Actuator A acts as an external muscle power generators to reduce the force requirement for the erector spinae muscles. As actuator B acts as a moment arm of the contractile force generated by actuator A, it will increase the effective amount of torque. The device can be worn directly on the body like normal clothing. Because there is no rigid exoskeleton frame structure, it is lightweight and user friendly. The system’s Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), composed of accelerometer sensors and gyro sensors to measure the human motion signals, can monitor the angles of the human body in real-time mode. By measuring the EMG signal of the human erector spinae muscles, the assistance effectiveness of the proposed device has been proven through experiments.
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Yilmaz, Ayse Feyza, Fidan Khalilbayli, Kadir Ozlem, Hend M. Elmoughni, Fatma Kalaoglu, Asli Tuncay Atalay, Gökhan Ince, and Ozgur Atalay. "Effect of Segment Types on Characterization of Soft Sensing Textile Actuators for Soft Wearable Robots." Biomimetics 7, no. 4 (December 19, 2022): 249. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040249.
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The use of textiles in soft robotics is gaining popularity because of the advantages textiles offer over other materials in terms of weight, conformability, and ease of manufacture. The purpose of this research is to examine the stitching process used to construct fabric-based pneumatic bending actuators as well as the effect of segment types on the actuators’ properties when used in soft robotic glove applications. To impart bending motion to actuators, two techniques have been used: asymmetry between weave and weft knit fabric layers and mechanical anisotropy between these two textiles. The impacts of various segment types on the actuators’ grip force and bending angle were investigated further. According to experiments, segmenting the actuator with a sewing technique increases the bending angle. It was discovered that actuators with high anisotropy differences in their fabric combinations have high gripping forces. Textile-based capacitive strain sensors are also added to selected segmented actuator types, which possess desirable properties such as increased grip force, increased bending angle, and reduced radial expansion. The sensors were used to demonstrate the controllability of a soft robotic glove using a closed-loop system. Finally, we demonstrated that actuators integrated into a soft wearable glove are capable of grasping a variety of items and performing various grasp types.
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Srikulwong, Mayuree, and Eamonn O’Neill. "Wearable Tactile Display of Landmarks and Direction for Pedestrian Navigation." International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction 3, no. 3 (July 2011): 31–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jmhci.2011070103.
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This research investigates representation techniques for spatial and related information in the design of tactile displays for pedestrian navigation systems. The paper reports on a user survey that identified and categorized landmarks used in pedestrian navigation in the urban context. The results show commonalities of landmark use in urban spaces worldwide. The survey results were then used in an experimental study that compared two tactile techniques for landmark representation using one or two actuators. Techniques were compared on 4 measures: distinguishability, learnability, memorability, and user preferences. Results from the lab-based evaluation showed that users performed equally well using either technique to represent just landmarks alone. However, when landmark representations were presented together with directional signals, performance with the one-actuator technique was significantly reduced while performance with the two-actuator approach remained unchanged. The results of this ongoing research programme can be used to help guide design for presenting key landmark information on wearable tactile displays.
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Yunas, Jumril, Budi Mulyanti, Ida Hamidah, Muzalifah Mohd Said, Roer Eka Pawinanto, Wan Amar Fikri Wan Ali, Ayub Subandi, Azrul Azlan Hamzah, Rhonira Latif, and Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis. "Polymer-Based MEMS Electromagnetic Actuator for Biomedical Application: A Review." Polymers 12, no. 5 (May 22, 2020): 1184. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym12051184.
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In this study, we present a comprehensive review of polymer-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) electromagnetic (EM) actuators and their implementation in the biomedical engineering field. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary on the latest development of electromagnetically driven microactuators for biomedical application that is focused on the movable structure development made of polymers. The discussion does not only focus on the polymeric material part itself, but also covers the basic mechanism of the mechanical actuation, the state of the art of the membrane development and its application. In this review, a clear description about the scheme used to drive the micro-actuators, the concept of mechanical deformation of the movable magnetic membrane and its interaction with actuator system are described in detail. Some comparisons are made to scrutinize the advantages and disadvantages of electromagnetic MEMS actuator performance. The previous studies and explanations on the technology used to fabricate the polymer-based membrane component of the electromagnetically driven microactuators system are presented. The study on the materials and the synthesis method implemented during the fabrication process for the development of the actuators are also briefly described in this review. Furthermore, potential applications of polymer-based MEMS EM actuators in the biomedical field are also described. It is concluded that much progress has been made in the material development of the actuator. The technology trend has moved from the use of bulk magnetic material to using magnetic polymer composites. The future benefits of these compact flexible material employments will offer a wide range of potential implementation of polymer composites in wearable and portable biomedical device applications.
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Huang, Zixin, Xinpeng Li, Jiarun Wang, Yi Zhang, and Jingfu Mei. "Human Pulse Detection by a Soft Tactile Actuator." Sensors 22, no. 13 (July 5, 2022): 5047. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s22135047.
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Soft sensing technologies offer promising prospects in the fields of soft robots, wearable devices, and biomedical instruments. However, the structural design, fabrication process, and sensing algorithm design of the soft devices confront great difficulties. In this paper, a soft tactile actuator (STA) with both the actuation function and sensing function is presented. The tactile physiotherapy finger of the STA was fabricated by a fluid silica gel material. Before pulse detection, the tactile physiotherapy finger was actuated to the detection position by injecting compressed air into its chamber. The pulse detecting algorithm, which realized the pulse detection function of the STA, is presented. Finally, in actual pulse detection experiments, the pulse values of the volunteers detected by using the STA and by employing a professional pulse meter were close, which illustrates the effectiveness of the pulse detecting algorithm of the STA.
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Duanmu, Dehao, Xiaojun Wang, Xiaodong Li, Zheng Wang, and Yong Hu. "Design of Guided Bending Bellows Actuators for Soft Hand Function Rehabilitation Gloves." Actuators 11, no. 12 (November 25, 2022): 346. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act11120346.
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This study developed a soft pneumatic glove actuated by elliptical cross-sectional guided bending bellows to augment finger-knuckle rehabilitation for patients with hand dysfunction. The guided bending bellows actuators (GBBAs) are made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials, demonstrating the necessary air tightness as a pneumatic actuator. The GBBAs could produce different moments of inertia when increasing internal air pressure drives the GBBAs bending along distinct symmetry planes and exhibits anisotropic kinematic bending performance. Actuated by GBBAs, wearable soft rehabilitation gloves can be used for daily rehabilitation training of hand dysfunction to enhance the range of motion of the finger joint. To control each finger of the gloves independently to achieve the function of manipulating gestures, a multi-channel pneumatic control system is designed, and each air circuit is equipped with an air-pressure sensor to make adjustments based on feedback. Compared with general soft robotic exoskeleton gloves currently used for hand dysfunction, the GBBAs actuated soft gloves have the advantage of enhancing the rehabilitation strength, finger movement range, and multi-action coordination applied with guided bending bellows actuators.
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Ozioko, Oliver, William Navaraj, Marion Hersh, and Ravinder Dahiya. "Tacsac: A Wearable Haptic Device with Capacitive Touch-Sensing Capability for Tactile Display." Sensors 20, no. 17 (August 24, 2020): 4780. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s20174780.
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This paper presents a dual-function wearable device (Tacsac) with capacitive tactile sensing and integrated tactile feedback capability to enable communication among deafblind people. Tacsac has a skin contactor which enhances localized vibrotactile stimulation of the skin as a means of feedback to the user. It comprises two main modules—the touch-sensing module and the vibrotactile module; both stacked and integrated as a single device. The vibrotactile module is an electromagnetic actuator that employs a flexible coil and a permanent magnet assembled in soft poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), while the touch-sensing module is a planar capacitive metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. The flexible coil was fabricated on a 50 µm polyimide (PI) sheet using Lithographie Galvanoformung Abformung (LIGA) micromoulding technique. The Tacsac device has been tested for independent sensing and actuation as well as dual sensing-actuation mode. The measured vibration profiles of the actuator showed a synchronous response to external stimulus for a wide range of frequencies (10 Hz to 200 Hz) within the perceivable tactile frequency thresholds of the human hand. The resonance vibration frequency of the actuator is in the range of 60–70 Hz with an observed maximum off-plane displacement of 0.377 mm at coil current of 180 mA. The capacitive touch-sensitive layer was able to respond to touch with minimal noise both when actuator vibration is ON and OFF. A mobile application was also developed to demonstrate the application of Tacsac for communication between deafblind person wearing the device and a mobile phone user who is not deafblind. This advances existing tactile displays by providing efficient two-way communication through the use of a single device for both localized haptic feedback and touch-sensing.
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Alò, Roberta, Francesco Bottiglione, and Giacomo Mantriota. "Artificial Knee Joints Actuators with Energy Recovery Capabilities: A Comparison of Performance." Journal of Robotics 2016 (2016): 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4802474.
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The human knee absorbs more energy than it expends in level ground walking. For this reason it would be useful if the actuation system of a wearable robot for lower limbs was able to recover energy thus improving portability. Presently, we recognize three promising technologies with energy recovery capabilities already available in the literature: the Series Elastic Actuator (SEA), the Clutchable Series Elastic Actuator (C-SEA), and the flywheel Infinitely Variable Transmission (F-IVT) actuator. In this paper, a simulation model based comparison of the performance of these actuators is presented. The focus is on two performance indexes: the energy consumed by the electric motor per gait and the peak torque/power requested to the electric motor. Both quantities are related to the portability of the device: the former affects the size of the batteries for a given desired range; the latter affects the size and the weight of the electric motor. The results show that, besides some well-explained limitations of the presented methodology, the C-SEA is the most energy efficient whereas the F-IVT allows cutting down the motor torque/peak power strongly. The analysis also leads to defining how it is possible to improve the F-IVT to achieve a reduction of the energy consumption.
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Park, Ki-Hong, Zhi-Xiong Jiang, Yuan-Wu Jiang, and Sang-Moon Hwang. "Development of Direct-Vibration Actuator for Bezel-Less Display Panels on Mobile Phones." Applied Sciences 10, no. 14 (July 20, 2020): 4975. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10144975.
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With the development of technology, multimedia devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices have become necessities in our lives, and many new products are introduced every year. Companies are expanding smartphone displays and are developing bezel-less display panel designs. The enlarged display limits the space available for a speaker, and a new actuator must therefore be developed. Indirect-vibration actuators were developed for full-wide display designs. Using the same sound-generation principle as that of the indirect-vibration actuator, the mechanism and design of the direct-vibrating actuator is proposed in this paper. Using 3D finite element method (FEM), the force factor is obtained and used for design optimization. A sample is produced, and an experiment is conducted for sound pressure level (SPL) comparison. The experiment results show that the newly designed direct-vibration actuator can replace the dynamic receiver in mobile devices and enable the application of the bezel-less display design.
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Kosaki, Takahiro, and Shigang Li. "A Water-Hydraulic Upper-Limb Assistive Exoskeleton System with Displacement Estimation." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 32, no. 1 (February 20, 2020): 149–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2020.p0149.
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This paper describes the development of an angle-sensorless exoskeleton with a tap water-driven artificial muscle actuator. The artificial muscle actuator consisted of an elastic rubber tube reinforced by braided fiber. Such actuators are highly flexible, lightweight, and water-resistant, and thus are inherently safe even for operations in direct contact with humans. An estimation system for the displacement of the artificial muscle actuator based on the water flow rates detected by flowmeters was constructed for the water-hydraulic exoskeleton. In addition, estimators of the velocity and acceleration of the actuator based on the estimated displacement and the measured flow rates were derived and incorporated into the estimation system. With this system, our previous wearable upper-limb assistive exoskeleton prototype was converted into an angle-sensorless version with higher safety in wet conditions. Its assistive performance was evaluated through experiments with research participants. Experimental results demonstrated that muscle activity could be reduced, although an assistive control strategy was executed with the variables estimated, excluding force.
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TANAKA, Shota, Hiroyuki NABAE, Koichi SUZUMORI, and Takako YOSHIDA. "Development of MRI compatible pneumatic wearable actuator." Proceedings of JSME annual Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (Robomec) 2016 (2016): 2P1–12b6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1299/jsmermd.2016.2p1-12b6.
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Ma, Jiaqi, Xiang Cheng, Pengfei Wang, Zhiwei Jiao, Yuan Yu, Meng Yu, Bin Luo, and Weimin Yang. "A Haptic Feedback Actuator Suitable for the Soft Wearable Device." Applied Sciences 10, no. 24 (December 10, 2020): 8827. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10248827.
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Gaining direct tactile sensation is becoming increasingly important for humans in human–computer interaction fields such as space robot teleoperation and augmented reality (AR). In this study, a novel electro-hydraulic soft actuator was designed and manufactured. The proposed actuator is composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films, flexible electrodes, and an insulating liquid dielectric. The influence of two different voltage loading methods on the output characteristics of the actuator was studied. The special voltage loading method (AC voltage) enables the actuator to respond rapidly (within 0.15 s), output a stable displacement in 3 s, and remain unchanged in the subsequent time. By adjusting the voltages and frequencies, a maximum output displacement of 1.1 mm and an output force of 1 N/cm2 can be rapidly achieved at a voltage of 12 kV (20 Hz). Finally, a haptic feedback system was built to control the robotic hand to perform gripping tasks in real time, and a more realistic tactile sensation could be realized, similar to that obtained when a human directly grabs objects. Therefore, the actuator has excellent portability, robustness, rapid response, and good compatibility with the human body for human–computer interaction.
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Yang, Jaeha, Junyoung Moon, Jaewook Ryu, Jehyeok Kim, Kimoon Nam, Sungjin Park, Yoosun Kim, and Giuk Lee. "Design of a Quasi-Direct Drive Actuator with Embedded Pulley for a Compact, Lightweight, and High-Bandwidth Exosuit." Actuators 12, no. 1 (January 3, 2023): 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act12010021.
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Although exosuits have several advantages compared to exoskeleton type of wearable robots, they have limitations, such as bulkiness and low control performance. This study addresses the design and evaluation of a compact, lightweight, and highly responsive actuator to be used for exosuits, based on the Quasi-Direct Drive (QDD) actuation. The design requirements of the actuator were set based on the actuation system used in the state-of-the-art exosuit from Harvard University (HE) so that it could be an improvement compared to HE. Several design concepts were comparatively evaluated to select the optimal design, and a design for the pulley embedded QDD (PEQDD) actuator was selected. The PEQDD was fabricated using mechanical components selected based on the design constraints or designed through mechanical analysis. Using a dynamometer, the efficiency map of the PEQDD was drawn. The control bandwidth comparison test with the motor originally used for HE showed improved bandwidth from 6.25 Hz to 20 Hz. Preliminary testing was done in walking and running conditions using an exosuit utilizing PEQDD. The test results showed that the actuator performance met all the design requirements.
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Deaconescu, Andrea, and Tudor Deaconescu. "Energy-to-Mass Ratio—A Novel Selection Criterion of Pneumatic Motors Used for the Actuation of Wearable Assistive Devices." Applied Sciences 12, no. 13 (June 25, 2022): 6459. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app12136459.
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The requirements to be met by a wearable assistive device are compactness, lightweight and energy efficiency. While the literature discusses the construction and performance of such devices, no information is provided as to the criteria to be applied in selecting such an actuator, capable of satisfying the mentioned conditions. Ensuring the high autonomy of a wearable assistive device requires actuators that can store a large quantity of energy in a small as possible volume, for example, actuators with a high energy density. This paper presents a comparative study of the performance of two types of pneumatic actuators: single-acting cylinders and pneumatic muscles, respectively, and offers information that will enable users to select an optimum solution. The quality indicators considered in conducting the comparative study are size, mass, the developed force and the energy-to-mass ratio. A method is proposed to determine the energy developed by the motors over the entire stroke; based on that, the energy-to-mass ratio is subsequently calculated. This indicator is a valuable tool made available to designers of wearable assistive devices. The conclusion yielded by the study asserts that while pneumatic muscles have larger radial and axial dimensions, they present benefits as to the developed forces and the energy-to-mass ratios.
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Rajagopalan, Ramprasad, Andrew J. Petruska, and David Howard. "A Bi-State Shape Memory Material Composite Soft Actuator." Actuators 11, no. 3 (March 11, 2022): 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act11030086.
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Shape memory materials have been widely used as programmable soft matter for developing multifunctional hybrid actuators. Several challenges of fabrication and effective modelling of these soft actuating systems can be addressed by implementing novel 3D printing techniques and simulations to aid the designer. In this study, the temperature-dependent recovery of an embedded U-shaped Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) and the shape fixity of a 3D-printed Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) matrix were exploited to create a bi-state Shape Memory Composite (SMC) soft actuator. Electrical heating allowed the SMA to achieve the bi-state condition, undergoing phase transformation to a U shape in the rubbery phase and a flat shape in the glassy phase of the SMP. A COMSOL Multiphysics model was developed to predict the deformation and recovery of the SMC by leveraging the in-built SMA constitutive relations and user-defined material subroutine for the SMP. The bi-state actuation model was validated by capturing the mid-point displacement of the 80 mm length × 10 mm width × 2 mm-thick 3D-printed SMC. The viability of the SMC as a periodic actuator in terms of shape recovery was addressed through modelling and simulation. Results indicated that the proposed COMSOL model was in good agreement with the experiment. In addition, the effect of varying the volume ratio of the SMA wire in the SMC on the maximum and recovered deflection was also obtained. Our model can be used to design SMC actuators with various performance profiles to facilitate future designs in soft robotics and wearable technology applications.
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Motamedi, M. Reza, David Florant, and Vincent Duchaine. "A Wearable Haptic Device Based on Twisting Wire Actuators for Feedback of Tactile Pressure Information." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 27, no. 4 (August 20, 2015): 419–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2015.p0419.
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<div class=""abs_img""> <img src=""[disp_template_path]/JRM/abst-image/00270004/12.jpg"" width=""300"" /> A wearable haptic device</div> This paper presents a novel wearable haptic device that provides the user with knowledge of a vertical force, measured at the fingertips, by applying pressure at three different locations on the user’s body. Human prehension and manipulation abilities rely on the ability to convert tactile information into controlled actions, such as the regulation of gripping force. Current upper-limb prosthetics are able to partially replicate the mechanical functions of the human hand, but most do not provide any sensory information to the user. This greatly affects amputees, as they must rely solely on their vision to perform grasping actions. Our device uses a twisted wire actuator to convert rotational motion into linear displacement, which allows the device to remain compact and light-weight. In the past, the main shortcoming of this type of actuator was its limited linear range of motion; but with a slight modification of the principle, we have extended our actuator’s linear range of motion by 40%. In this paper, we present the design of our haptic device, the kinematic and dynamic modelling of the actuator, and the results of the experiments that were used to validate the system’s functionality. </span>
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Ig Mo Koo, Kwangmok Jung, Ja Choon Koo, Jae-Do Nam, Young Kwan Lee, and Hyouk Ryeol Choi. "Development of Soft-Actuator-Based Wearable Tactile Display." IEEE Transactions on Robotics 24, no. 3 (June 2008): 549–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tro.2008.921561.
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Yuan, Peizheng, Ginjiro Kawano, and Hideyuki Tsukagoshi. "Design and Modeling of Soft Pneumatic Helical Actuator with High Contraction Ratio." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 32, no. 5 (October 20, 2020): 1061–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2020.p1061.
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Soft contraction actuators are becoming important elements particularly for human-friendly robotic applications. However, it is challenging to achieve both a large operating distance while generating practical force. Hence, we present a new soft contraction actuator capable of realizing a high ratio contraction by pneumatic power. It can be easily fabricated using soft materials, including rubber tubes, one-way extensible cloth, and inextensible wire. Its initial shape is tubular but it can curve and coil to a helix shape owing to its different extensibilities on two sides when pressurized. A maximum contraction ratio of 78% and a 23 N contraction force can be achieved with an 11.6 mm initial outer diameter tube under 0.3 MPa. The effect of the tilt angle of a one-way extensible cloth on the helical shape is investigated, and a mathematical model illustrating the relationship between the contraction ratio and force is derived. Our experimental results suggest that this helical actuator has a much higher contraction ratio than a McKibben actuator under the same conditions. Finally, we discuss the potential application of the proposed actuator to a wearable device, i.e., for assisting the dorsiflexion of an ankle joint requiring a wide range of motion.
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Malvezzi, Monica, Zubair Iqbal, Maria Cristina Valigi, Maria Pozzi, Domenico Prattichizzo, and Gionata Salvietti. "Design of Multiple Wearable Robotic Extra Fingers for Human Hand Augmentation." Robotics 8, no. 4 (December 11, 2019): 102. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/robotics8040102.
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Augmenting the human hand with robotic extra fingers is a cutting-edge research topic and has many potential applications, in particular as a compensatory and rehabilitation tool for patients with upper limb impairments. Devices composed of two extra fingers are preferred with respect to single finger devices when reliable grasps, resistance to external disturbances, and higher payloads are required. Underactuation and compliance are design choices that can reduce the device complexity and weight, maintaining the adaptability to different grasped objects. When only one motor is adopted to actuate multiple fingers, a differential mechanism is necessary to decouple finger movements and distribute forces. In this paper, the main features of a wearable device composed of two robotic extra fingers are described and analyzed in terms of kinematics, statics, and mechanical resistance. Each finger is composed of modular phalanges and is actuated with a single tendon. Interphalangeal joints include a passive elastic element that allows restoring the initial reference configuration when the tendon is released. The stiffness of each passive element can be customized in the manufacturing process and can be chosen according to a desired closure movement of the fingers. Another key aspect of the device is the differential system connecting the actuator to the fingers.
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Zhu, Yinlong, Weizhuang Gong, Kaimei Chu, Xu Wang, Zhiqiang Hu, and Haijun Su. "A Novel Wearable Soft Glove for Hand Rehabilitation and Assistive Grasping." Sensors 22, no. 16 (August 21, 2022): 6294. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s22166294.
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In order to assist patients with finger rehabilitation training and grasping objects, we propose a new type of soft rehabilitation gloves (SRGs), which has both flexion/extension and abduction/adduction movement function for every finger. This paper describes the structure design of the bending actuator and rotating actuator, the fabrication process of the soft actuator, and the implementation of the soft wearable gloves based on a fabric glove. FEM simulation analysis and experiments were conducted to characterize the mechanical behavior and performance of the soft glove in terms of the angle output and force output upon pressurization. To operate this soft wearable glove, we designed the hardware system for SRGs with a flexible strain sensor and force sensor in the loop and introduced a force/position hybrid PID control algorithm to regulate the pressure inputted. Experiment evaluation focused on rehabilitation training gestures; motions and the precise grasping assistance function were executed. The rotating actuator between each finger can supply abduction/adduction motion manner for patients, which will improve rehabilitation effect. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed SRGs have the potential to improve hand movement freedom and the range of grasping successfully.
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Woo, Hanseung, and Kyoungchul Kong. "Mechanical design optimization of a series elastic actuator considering the control performance." Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application 46, no. 2 (March 18, 2019): 311–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ir-05-2018-0094.
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Purpose Actuators for human-interactive robot systems require transparency and guaranteed safety. An actuation system is called transparent when it is able to generate an actuation force as desired without any actuator dynamics. The requirements for the transparent actuation include high precision and large frequency bandwidth in actuation force generation, zero mechanical impedance and so on. In this paper, a compact rotary series elastic actuator (cRSEA) is designed considering the actuation transparency and the mechanical safety. Design/methodology/approach The mechanical parameters of a cRSEA are optimally selected for the controllability, the input and output torque transmissibility and the mechanical impedance by simulation study. A mechanical clutch that automatically disengages the transmission is devised such that the human is mechanically protected from an excessive actuation torque due to any possible controller malfunction or any external impact from a collision. The proposed cRSEA with a mechanical clutch is applied to develop a wearable robot for incomplete paraplegic patients. To verify torque tracking performance and disengagement of the mechanical clutch, experiments were conducted. Findings As the effects of the gear ratio, N1, on the four control performance indexes are conflicting, it should be carefully selected such that the controllability and the output torque transmissibility are maximized, while the disturbance torque transmissibility and the mechanical impedance are minimized. When the four control performance indexes were equally weighted, N1 was selected as 30. Experimental results showed that the designed cRSEA provided good control performances and the mechanical clutch worked properly. Originality/value It is important to design the actuator so as to maximize the control performance in accordance with its purpose. This paper presents the design guidelines for the SEA by introducing four control performance indexes and analyzing how the performance indexes vary according to the change of design parameter. From the viewpoint of practicality, a mechanical clutch design method that prevents excessive torque from being transmitted to the wearer and an analysis to solve the locking phenomenon when using a worm gear are presented, and a design method of SEA satisfying both control performance and practicality is presented.
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Ghazi, Mustafa, Josiah Rippetoe, Raghuveer Chandrashekhar, and Hongwu Wang. "Focal Vibration Therapy: Vibration Parameters of Effective Wearable Devices." Applied Sciences 11, no. 7 (March 26, 2021): 2969. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11072969.
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Focal vibration therapy can provide neurophysiological benefits. Unfortunately, standardized protocols are non-existent. Previous research presents a wide range of protocols with a wide range of effectiveness. This paper is part of a broader effort to identify effective, standardized protocols for focal vibration therapy. In this study, the authors evaluated the vibration characteristics (frequency and peak-to-peak intensity) of four commercially available focal vibration devices: (1) Vibracool (wearable), (2) Novafon (hand-held), (3) Myovolt 3-actuator (wearable), and (4) Myovolt 2-actuator (wearable). An accelerometer was used for the measurements. Measurements were made under the following two conditions: (a) when the devices were free, i.e., unconstrained vibration, and (b) when the devices were strapped to the human body, i.e., constrained vibration. In the free vibration condition, frequency ranged from 120 to 225 Hz and peak-to-peak amplitude ranged from 2.0 to 7.9 g’s. When the devices were strapped to the body (constrained), vibration amplitude decreased by up to 65.7%. These results identify effective ranges of focal vibration frequency and amplitude. They illustrate the importance of identifying vibration environment, free or constrained, when quoting vibration characteristics. Finally, the inconsistency output of multi-actuator devices is discussed. These results will guide protocol development for focal vibration and potentially better focal vibration devices.
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Neu, Julian, Sipontina Croce, Jonas Hubertus, Guenter Schultes, Gianluca Rizzello, and Stefan Seelecke. "Assembly and Characterization of a DE Actuator Based on Polymeric Domes as Biasing Element." Proceedings 64, no. 1 (November 20, 2020): 24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/iecat2020-08490.
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Dielectric elastomer (DE) technology opens up the possibility of constructing novel lightweight and energy-efficient mechatonic systems, whose design can be tailored to several applications. Numerous types of DE actuator (DEA) configurations, capable of high-force, high-speed, and high-stroke, have been presented in the recent literature. One relevant example is represented by membrane DEAs. This type of actuator consists of a DE film pre-loaded with a mechanical bias. In case the biasing element shows a negative slope (i.e., stiffness) in its force-displacement characteristic, the stroke of the resulting DEA can be significantly magnified. Conventional negative-stiffness biasing systems are based on pre-compressed metal beams, thus they appear as unsuitable for miniaturization to the meso- or micro-scale, as well as for the design of completely flexible actuators for wearable and soft robotics applications. To overcome those issues, a new, novel, full polymer-based DEA configuration is introduced in this work. The core element is the biasing system, which is based on a compliant silicone dome. This type of bias presents a negative stiffness region within its mechanical characteristic; thus, it can serve as a flexible alternative to metal-based biasing systems. It will be shown how the force-displacement characteristic of the dome can be geometrically tuned to match the ones of the DE. In this way, a large actuation stroke can be achieved with a full polymer-based design. After discussing system design and manufacturing, the actuator element is assembled. Finally, experimental stroke characterization is performed.
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Chu, Hsien-Ru, Shean-Juinn Chiou, I.-Hsum Li, and Lian-Wang Lee. "Design, Development, and Control of a Novel Upper-Limb Power-Assist Exoskeleton System Driven by Pneumatic Muscle Actuators." Actuators 11, no. 8 (August 10, 2022): 231. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/act11080231.
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An innovative wearable upper-limb power-assist exoskeleton system (UPES) was designed for laborers to improve work efficiency and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This novel wearable UPES consists of four joints, each comprising a single actuated pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) and a torsion spring module driven via a steel cable. Unlike most single-joint applications, where dual-PMAs are driven by antagonism, this design aims to combine a torsion spring module with a single-PMA via a steel cable for a 1-degree of freedom (1-DOF) joint controlled by a proportional-pressure regulator. The proposed four driving degrees of freedom wearable UPES is suitable for power assistance in work and characterizes a simple structure, safety, and compliance with the motion of an upper limb. However, due to the hysteresis, time-varying characteristics of the PMA, and non-linear movement between joint flexion and extension, the model parameters are difficult to identify accurately, resulting in unmeasurable uncertainties and disturbances of the wearable UPES. To address this issue, we propose an improved proxy-based sliding mode controller integrated with a linear extended state observer (IPSMC-LESO) to achieve accurate power-assisted control for the upper limb and ensure safe interaction between the UPES and the wearer. This control method can slow the underdamped dynamic recovery motion to tend the target trajectory without overshoots from large tracking errors that result in actuator saturation, and without deteriorating the power assist effect during regular operation. The experimental results show that IPSMC-LESO can effectively control a 4-DOF wearable UPES, observe the unknown states and total disturbance online of the system, and adapt to the external environment and load changes to improve system control performance. The results prove that the joint torsion spring module combining the single-PMA can reduce the number of PMAs and proportional-pressure regulators by half and obtain a control response similar to that of the dual-PMA structure.
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Yamada, Takafumi, Shuichi Ino, Mitsuru Sato, Shao Chi Wang, Hideaki Ito, Takashi Izumi, and Tohru Ifukube. "Design of an Wearable Actuator Using Metal Hydride Alloys." Proceedings of the JSME Symposium on Welfare Engineering 2002.2 (2002): 257–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1299/jsmewes.2002.2.257.
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Noritsugu, Toshiro, Masahiro Takaiwa, and Daisuke Sasaki. "Development of Power Assist Wear Using Pneumatic Rubber Artificial Muscles." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 21, no. 5 (October 20, 2009): 607–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2009.p0607.
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In the future, when the average age of the members of society becomes advanced, an innovative technology to assist the activities of daily living of elderly and disabled people and to assist in the heavy work in nursing will be desired. To develop such a technology, an actuator that is safe and user-friendly is required. It should be small, lightweight, and sufficiently soft. Such an actuator is available in artificial muscle made of pneumatic rubber. We have developed some types of pneumatic rubber artificial muscles and applied them to wearable power assist devices. A wearable power assist device is fitted to the human body to assist the power of muscles that support the activities of daily living, rehabilitation, training, and so on. In this paper, some types of pneumatic rubber artificial muscles developed and manufactured in our laboratory are presented. Furthermore, two kinds of wearable power assist devices driven by the rubber artificial muscles are described. Finally, some evaluations clarify the effectiveness of pneumatic rubber artificial muscle for innovative human assistance technologies.
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Ishii, Mineo, Keijiro Yamamoto, and Kazuhito Hyodo. "Stand-Alone Wearable Power Assist Suit –Development and Availability–." Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics 17, no. 5 (October 20, 2005): 575–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2005.p0575.
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The stand-alone wearable power assist suit we developed gives caregivers the extra strength they need to lift patients while avoiding back injuries. To put this suit to practical use, we improved sensing system and the mechanisms. To stabilize muscle tenseness sensing more, we developed an all-in-one sensor that built the sensor into a mesh belt and improved sensing characteristics. We expanded the movable range and function of the suit. We increased actuator output torque by increasing the number of cuffs inserted into actuators. Based on equations derived from static body mechanics using joint angles, joints torques required to maintain a position are calculated by an embedded microcomputer and required joint torques was combined with muscle sensor output signals to generate control signals. We developed an exoskeleton for measurement having the same frame and potentiometers as the suit and measured muscle force by having a user wear the exoskeleton, and proved that each unit of the suit transmitted assistance torque directly to each joint. We also found that a user wearing the suit could lift weight using half or less muscle power, i.e., muscle power doubled.
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Wang, Yaofeng, Fan Wang, Yang Kong, Lei Wang, and Qinchuan Li. "Novel ionic bioartificial muscles based on ionically crosslinked multi-walled carbon nanotubes-mediated bacterial cellulose membranes and PEDOT:PSS electrodes." Smart Materials and Structures 31, no. 2 (January 4, 2022): 025023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-665x/ac4576.
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Abstract High-performance bioartificial muscles with low-cost, large bending deformation, low actuation voltage, and fast response time have drawn extensive attention as the development of human-friendly electronics in recent years. Here, we report a high-performance ionic bioartificial muscle based on the bacterial cellulose (BC)/ionic liquid (IL)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanocomposite membrane and PEDOT:PSS electrode. The developed ionic actuator exhibits excellent electro-chemo-mechanical properties, which are ascribed to its high ionic conductivity, large specific capacitance, and ionically crosslinked structure resulting from the strong ionic interaction and physical crosslinking among BC, IL, and MWCNT. In particular, the proposed BC-IL-MWCNT (0.10 wt%) nanocomposite exhibited significant increments of Young’s modulus up to 75% and specific capacitance up to 77%, leading to 2.5 times larger bending deformation than that of the BC-IL actuator. More interestingly, bioinspired applications containing artificial soft robotic finger and grapple robot were successfully demonstrated based on high-performance BC-IL-MWCNT actuator with excellent sensitivity and controllability. Thus, the newly proposed BC-IL-MWCNT bioartificial muscle will offer a viable pathway for developing next-generation artificial muscles, soft robotics, wearable electronic products, flexible tactile devices, and biomedical instruments.
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Tiziani, Lucas, Alexander Hart, Thomas Cahoon, Faye Wu, H. Harry Asada, and Frank L. Hammond. "Empirical characterization of modular variable stiffness inflatable structures for supernumerary grasp-assist devices." International Journal of Robotics Research 36, no. 13-14 (July 2, 2017): 1391–413. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0278364917714062.
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This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of modular, variable stiffness inflatable components for pneumatically actuated supernumerary robotic (SR) grasp-assist devices. The proposed SR grasp-assist devices are comprised of soft rigidizable finger phalanges and variable stiffness pneumatic bending actuators that are manufactured using soft lithography fabrication methods. The mechanical and kinematic properties of these modular, inflatable components are characterized experimentally under various loading conditions and over a range of geometric design parameters. The resulting data-driven properties are then used to predict the grasp strengths and motion patterns of SR grasp-assist device configurations designed to accommodate the manipulation of daily living objects. Experimental results demonstrate the ability to program grasp synergies into SR fingers by strategic inflation of the bending actuator antagonist chambers (varying mechanical stiffness), without the need for complicated, high-power mechanisms or precise, low-level motion control. The results also demonstrate the underactuated grasp adaptations enabled by modular inflatable components and the ability to predict mechanical grasping capabilities of wearable pneumatic SR grasp-assist devices using insights from empirical data.
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Chiba, Seiki A., Mikio Waki, Yoshinori Tanaka, Naoaki Tsurumi, Kuniyoshi Okamoto, Kazuya Nagase, Masatoshi Honma, et al. "Elastomer Transducers." Advances in Science and Technology 97 (October 2016): 61–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/ast.97.61.
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Electroactive polymer transducers have many features that are desirable for various devices. An especially attractive type of electroactive polymer is dielectric elastomer (DE). Our recent progress is a DE actuator having only 0.1 g of DE that lifted a weight of 2 kg using carbon system electrodes. We also developed a ribbon form DE actuator having a sensor function that can be used to measure force, or pressure, as well as motion at the same time. This actuator can assist human and robot motions. At the same time, it can work as a motion feedback sensor. We hope that it may be useful for smart rehabilitation equipment for hands, legs, and fingers. DE has also been shown to operate in reverse as a generator. Experiments have been performed on portable DE generators/wearable generators powered by human motion, ocean wave power harvesters mounted on buoys, solar heat generators, and water turbines. While the power output levels of such demonstration devices is small, the performance of these devices has supported the potential benefits of DE. We are developing elastomers having larger dielectric constant using barium titanium oxide to produce a “super artificial muscle for energy harvesting devices, actuators & sensors” in the near future.
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Koo, Jaewan, Jong-Boo Han, Seokjae Lee, Dong-Gi Gwak, Jehun Hahm, Dong-Seop Sohn, and Kap-Ho Seo. "Development of Pneumatic Distributor for Soft Actuator of Wearable Suit." Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems 26, no. 7 (July 31, 2020): 564–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.5302/j.icros.2020.20.0055.
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YAMAMOTO, Takehiro, and Kenji SUZUKI. "A Whole-Body Wearable Soft Robot with Series Inflatable Actuator." Proceedings of JSME annual Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (Robomec) 2017 (2017): 1A1—I08. http://dx.doi.org/10.1299/jsmermd.2017.1a1-i08.
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Wang, Yanhong, Ke Bian, Chuangang Hu, Zhipan Zhang, Nan Chen, Huimin Zhang, and Liangti Qu. "Flexible and wearable graphene/polypyrrole fibers towards multifunctional actuator applications." Electrochemistry Communications 35 (October 2013): 49–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.elecom.2013.07.044.
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Yamamoto, Hidetake, Naoyuki NAKANISHI, Kazuyoshi TSUCHIYA, Yasutomo UETSUJI, and Eiji NAKAMACHI. "1112 Development of wearable medical device with piezoelectric actuator drive." Proceedings of the Conference on Information, Intelligence and Precision Equipment : IIP 2005 (2005): 66–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1299/jsmeiip.2005.66.
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Hollander, Kevin W., and Thomas G. Sugar. "Design of Lightweight Lead Screw Actuators for Wearable Robotic Applications." Journal of Mechanical Design 128, no. 3 (July 29, 2005): 644–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.2181995.
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A wearable robot is a controlled and actuated device that is in direct contact with its user. As such, the implied requirements of this device are that it must be portable, lightweight, and most importantly safe. To achieve these goals, an actuator with a good “power to weight” ratio, good mechanical efficiency, good “strength to weight” ratio, and that is safe is desired. The design of the standard lead screw does not normally perform well in any of these categories. The typical lead screw has low pitch angles and large radii, thereby yielding low mechanical efficiencies and heavy weight. However, using the design procedure outlined in this text, both efficiency and weight are improved; thus yielding a lead screw system with performances that rival human muscle. The result of an example problem reveals a feasible lead screw design that has a power to weight ratio of 277W∕kg, approaching that of the dc motor driving it, at 312W∕kg, as well as a mechanical efficiency of 0.74, and a maximum strength to weight ratio of 11.3kN∕kg(1154kgf∕kg).
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Glowinski, Sebastian, Maciej Obst, Sławomir Majdanik, and Barbara Potocka-Banaś. "Dynamic Model of a Humanoid Exoskeleton of a Lower Limb with Hydraulic Actuators." Sensors 21, no. 10 (May 14, 2021): 3432. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s21103432.
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Exoskeletons are the mechanical systems whose operation is carried out in close cooperation with the human body. In this paper, the authors describe a mathematical model of the hydraulic exoskeleton of a lower limb. The coordinates of characteristic points of the exoskeleton in the sagittal plane as a function of user height are presented. The mathematical models, kinematics, and kinetics equations were determined. The masses of the actuators and their dimensions were selected based on catalog data. The force distribution in the wearable system during the squat is shown. The proposed models allowed us to determine the trajectory of individual points of the exoskeleton and to determine the forces in hydraulic cylinders that are necessary to perform a specific displacement. The simulation results show that the joint moments depend linearly on actuator forces. The dynamics equations of the wearable system are non-linear. The inertia of the system depends on the junction variables and it proves that there are dynamic couplings between the individual axes of the exoskeleton.
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Nasir, Abdul, Tetsuya Akagi, Shujiro Dohta, Ayumu Ono, and Yusuke Masago. "Development of Low-Cost Wearable Servo Valve Using Buckled Tube Driven by Servo Motor." Applied Mechanics and Materials 393 (September 2013): 532–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.393.532.
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Recently, power assisted nursing care systems have received much attention and those researches have been done actively. In such a control system, an actuator and a control valve are mounted on the human body. Designing the system, the size and weight of the valve become serious concerns. The purpose of our study is to develop a small-sized, lightweight and low-cost servo valve for precise control using wearable pneumatic actuators. In this study, a low-cost wearable servo valve that can control the output flow rate by changing the twisted angle of the buckled tube in the servo valve is proposed and tested. The position control system of McKibben rubber artificial muscle using tested valve and embedded controller is also proposed and tested. As a result, we confirmed that the tested servo valve can control the flow rate in both supply and exhaust in an analog way. In addition, the estimated cost of the proposed valve can be reduced about 100 times cheaper (10 US Dollar) compared with the typical servo valve.
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Harper, Sara E., Rebecca A. Roembke, John D. Zunker, Darryl G. Thelen, and Peter G. Adamczyk. "Wearable Tendon Kinetics." Sensors 20, no. 17 (August 26, 2020): 4805. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s20174805.
Full textAbstract:
This study introduces a noninvasive wearable system for investigating tendon loading patterns during outdoor locomotion on variable terrain. The system leverages shear wave tensiometry, which is a new approach for assessing tendon load by tracking wave speed within the tissue. Our wearable tensiometry system uses a battery-operated piezoelectric actuator to induce micron-scale shear waves in a tendon. A data logger monitors wave propagation by recording from two miniature accelerometers mounted on the skin above the tendon. Wave speed is determined from the wave travel time between accelerometers. The wearable system was used to record Achilles tendon wave speed at 100 Hz during 1-km outdoor walking trials in nine young adults. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) simultaneously monitored participant position, walking speed, and ground incline. An analysis of 5108 walking strides revealed the coupled biomechanical effects of terrain slope and walking speed on tendon loading. Uphill slopes increased the tendon wave speed during push-off, whereas downhill slopes increased tendon wave speeds during early stance braking. Walking speed significantly modulated peak tendon wave speed on uphill slopes but had less influence on downhill slopes. Walking speed consistently induced greater early stance wave speeds for all slopes. These observations demonstrate that wearable shear wave tensiometry holds promise for evaluating tendon tissue kinetics in natural environments and uncontrolled movements. There are numerous practical applications of wearable tensiometry spanning orthopedics, athletics, rehabilitation, and ergonomics.