Pressurized artificial muscles show promise in both standard aircraft actuation operations and in morphing structures as an alternative to currently used actuation systems due to their high power-to-weight ratio. Pressurized artificial muscles have already demonstrated the necessary force production to be utilized as an alternative actuation mechanism. In order to better understand the feasibility of using pressurized artificial muscles as a standard actuation mechanism it is necessary to determine the life cycle of pressurized artificial muscles under high pressures, loads, and strains, and how muscle geometry and materials effect the life cycle of the artificial muscle. This thesis presents a study to determine the fatigue characteristics of pressurized artificial muscles to address the issues noted above. The life cycle of the pressurized artificial muscle is examined at high internal pressures and high strains. The materials composing the pressurized artificial muscle, and the artificial muscle geometry are changed throughout the study to determine their effect on the life cycle of a pressurized artificial muscle. Finally a morphing aileron utilizing pressurized artificial muscles as the actuation mechanism is fatigue tested. Fatigue testing results show that pressurized artificial muscle fatigue life is dependent on both actuator materials and geometry. Latex rubber bladders were shown to perform better than bladders of other materials. Increasing the wall thickness of the latex bladder increased the life cycle of the pressurized artificial muscles. Additionally, casting the pressurized artificial muscle in a cylindrical polyurethane resin matrix increased the life cycle of the actuator, and increasing the diameter of this resin matrix further increased the life cycle of the actuator. / Master of Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-81).

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A new polymer with dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctatetraene as the actuation center and one of the thiophene derivatives, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, as polymer chain is successfully synthesized. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum is obtained for each synthetic step. Several electrochemistry tests are done to examine the oxidation and reduction properties of the monomer and polymer. Cyclic voltammetry is used for the polymerization. Polymer is first grown on a metallic working electrode and further coated on an ITO plate. UV-Vis experiment is also done. A [pi] [arrow] [pi]* transition is observed as the primary polymer electronic absorption peak. Thickness of the polymer film is also recorded. / text

Soft robotics is an emerging research subject showing great promise for applications where traditional and rigid robotics is limited, for example, creating stroking sensation by using soft robotics. The purpose of this master's thesis project is to convey caress by designing and manufacturing a wearable haptic soft belt with locomotion. This device is mainly composed of pneumatic artificial muscles, pressurized actuator and control loop by Arduino. The locomotion of this device is realized through the elongation, shortening and position change of tubular pneumatic artificial muscles which was inspired by inchworm locomotion. Several different methods and materials were tested in the experiment. The results show that the device based on the principle of different friction successfully realizes the expected function.

[pt] É notória a necessidade de encontrar novas tecnologias para atuação de sistemas robóticos tão eficazes quanto a do músculo natural. Os atuadores tradicionais possuem grande agilidade e força quando comparados aos músculos naturais, mas suas dimensões e peso são elevados em relação à força que são capazes de exercer, e demandam muita energia para cumprirem suas tarefas. Manipuladores robóticos menores e mais baratos poderiam existir se pudessem utilizar músculos naturais para impulsioná-los. Ao mesmo tempo, as indústrias gastariam menos com os custos envolvidos em energia e compra desses manipuladores. Este trabalho estuda o comportamento de músculos artificiais baseados no polímero acrílico VHB4905, através da construção de uma bancada de teste com sensor de força, incluindo especificação de todos os equipamentos e o desenvolvimento de circuitos de alta tensão (até 10kV) para acioná-los. Durante o desenvolvimento e implementação do circuito foram encontrados problemas intrínsecos à manipulação de tensões da ordem de vários kV. Esses problemas foram apontados e soluções satisfatórias foram implementadas, de forma a tornar os experimentos possíveis. Modelos matemáticos de algumas das principais configurações possíveis para atuadores foram desenvolvidos. Os modelos desenvolvidos para uma das configurações típicas foram comparados com resultados experimentais com um erro máximo absoluto de 1% (26,7mN) do valor real. Experimentos em atuadores de molduras fixas foram feitos com resultados de 223% de deformação da região ativa, com desempenho muito superior ao dos músculos naturais. A partir de um dos modelos desenvolvidos, implementou-se um controlador PID compensado que gerou melhores resultados a entradas em degrau que o PID padrão, o qual não leva em consideração a não linearidade e a alta sensibilidade do atuador quando submetido a tensões próximas da tensão de quebra do dielétrico. A eficácia da técnica de controle proposta foi comprovada experimentalmente. / [en] It is well known the needs of finding new technologies for robotic systems actuations, with the same efficiency of the natural muscles. The common actuators have better agility and force when compared to natural muscles, but the dimensions and weight are bigger and for that the demand of energy necessary for the actuation is higher. Smaller and cheaper robot manipulators could exist if they were able to use natural muscles to drive them. At the same time, industries would spend less money with energy and manipulators. This work studies the behavior of artificial muscles based on dielectric elastomers (VHB4905) through the development of a test bench with force transducer, including the specification of all the equipments and the development of a high voltage circuit (10kV maximum). During the development and implementation of the circuit, problems inherent to high voltage manipulation were found. Those problems were shown and tolerable solutions were taken, so that the experiments were feasible. Mathematic models of some of the main configurations for actuators were developed. One of those models (from a typical configuration) was compared with experimental results with a maximum absolute error of 1% (26.7mN) of the real value. Experiments with fixed frame actuators were made with 223% of strain, showing a much higher performance compared to natural muscles. With one of the mathematic models, a PID controller with adjustable gains was developed and presented better results, for a step response, when compared to a standard PID controller. This last one do not take into account the non-linearities and for that it behaviors with great sensibility when subjected to high voltages (close to dielectric breakdown). The effectiveness of the proposed control technique was proved experimentally.

Highly effective and power efficient biological mechanisms are common in nature. The use of biological design principles in engineering domain requires adequate training in both engineering and biological domains. This requires cooperation between biologists and engineers that leads to a new discipline of biomimetic science and engineering. Biomimetic is the abstraction of good design from nature. Because of the fact that biomimetic design has an important place in mechatronic applications, this study is directed towards biomimetic design of grasshopper-like jumping mechanism. A biomimetic design procedure is developed and steps of the procedure have followed through all the study. A literature survey on jumping mechanisms of grasshoppers and jumping robots and bio-robots are done and specifically apteral types of grasshoppers are observed. After the inspections, 2D and 3D mathematical models are developed representing the kinematics and dynamics of the hind leg movements. Body-femur, femur-tibia and tibia-ground angles until take-off are obtained from the mathematical leg models. The force analysis of the leg models with artificial muscles and biological muscles are derived from the torque analysis. A simulation program is used with a simple model for verification. The horizontal displacement of jumping is compared with the data obtained from the simulation program and equation of motion solutions with and without air resistance. Actuators are the muscles of robots that lead robots to move and have an important place in robotics. In this scope, artificial muscles are studied as a fourth step of biomimetic design. A few ready-made artificial muscles were selected as an actuator of the grasshopper-like jumping mechanism at the beginning of the study. Because of their disadvantages, a new artificial muscle is designed and manufactured for mini bio-robot applications. An artificial muscle is designed to be driven by an explosion obtained due to the voltage applied in a piston and cylinder system filled with dielectric fluid. A 3.78-mm diameter Teflon piston is fitted with a clearance into a Teflon cylinder filled with a 25.7- mm fluid height and maximum 225 V is applied to the electrodes by using an electrical discharge machine (EDM) circuit. The force on the piston is measured by using a set-up of Kistler piezoelectric low level force sensor. The data obtained from the sensor is captured by using an oscilloscope, a charge meter, and a GPIB connecting card with software, Agilent. From the experiments, the new artificial muscle force is about 300 mN giving a 38:1 force to weight ratio and percentage elongation is expected to be higher than that of the natural muscles and the other artificial muscles. From the force analysis of the leg model, it is shown that the measured force is not enough alone for jumping of an about 500 mgr body. An additional artificial muscle or a single muscle designed with the same operating principle giving higher force to weight ratio is recommended as a future study.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία περιλαμβάνει την σχεδίαση και τον έλεγχο μέσω προγράμματος σε περιβάλλον LabView, ενός διπλού παράλληλου μηχανισμού με Τεχνητούς Πνευματικούς Μύες (Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs)). Η μηχανική διάταξη που κατασκευάστηκε είναι ένας διπλός παράλληλος μηχανισμός βασισμένος σε δύο τροποποιημένες πλατφόρμες τύπου Stewart. Ως ενεργοποιητές για την κίνηση στις πλατφόρμες χρησιμοποιήθηκαν Τεχνητοί Πνευματικοί Μύες ενώ για την στήριξη αυτών σε συγκεκριμένο ρυθμιζόμενο ύψος πνευματικά έμβολα διπλής δράσης, με μη περιστρεφόμενα πιστόνια. Παράλληλα, πάνω στις πλατφόρμες τοποθετήθηκαν δύο κλισιόμετρα προκειμένου να παρέχουν πληροφορίες για την κλίση αυτών. Ο έλεγχος της πίεσης του αέρα που υπάρχει στους μύες και στα έμβολα γίνεται μέσω αναλογικών ρυθμιστών πίεσης. Σε λειτουργία Ανοικτού Βρόγχου (Open loop Operation) ο μηχανισμός μπορεί να εκτελέσει παράλληλες ή περιστροφικές κινήσεις σε κάθε πλατφόρμα ξεχωριστά ή και στις δύο ταυτόχρονα. Ο χρήστης επιλέγει το εύρος της κίνησης αλλά και τη συχνότητα εκτέλεσής της. Στα πλαίσια της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας, μελετήθηκε η ανταγωνιστική λειτουργία των μυών και εξετάστηκαν τρόποι για την βελτίωσή της. Σε λειτουργία κλειστού βρόγχου (Closed Loop Operation) ο χρήστης εισάγει στον υπολογιστή με τον οποίο είναι συνδεδεμένη η διάταξη, τις επιθυμητές γωνίες στις οποίες θέλει να βρεθεί η κάθε πλατφόρμα. Υλοποιείται αλγόριθμος ελέγχου τύπου PID για κάθε ζεύγος μυών και μέσω αυτών υπολογίζονται οι κατάλληλες πιέσεις που πρέπει να έχει ο κάθε μυς, ώστε οι πλατφόρμες να επιτύχουν την επιθυμητή γωνία. Όλες οι διεργασίες ελέγχου της πλατφόρμας τόσο σε λειτουργία ανοικτού όσο και σε λειτουργία κλειστού βρόχου υλοποιούνται μέσω τους προγραμματιστικού περιβάλλοντος LabView της εταιρείας National Instruments (NI). / This thesis, presents the development of a double parallel mechanism actuated by Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs) and controlled via LabView. The mechanical arrangement is a double parallel mechanism based on two modified Stewart platforms. PAMs have been used as platforms’ actuators and also non revolute double action pneumatic cylinders have been incorporated in order to support them at a user specified height. In addition two dual axis inclinometers have been utilized in order to provide the necessary angle feedback for the control loop. The pressure regulation in the PAMs and in the pneumatic cylinders is performed by proportional pressure regulators. In the Open Loop Operation, the mechanism can perform parallel or circular motions, in each platform independently or combined. The user chooses the range and the frequency of the performed motion. Furthermore the antagonistic operation of the PAMs has been studied. In the Closed Loop Operation the user inserts the platforms’ desired angles. A PID controller is implemented for every pair of antagonistic muscles, giving the necessary pressures in the antagonistic PAMs. All the control operations both in Open and Closed Loop are performed via National’s Instruments LabView software.

Les actionneurs à base de polymères électroactifs ioniques constituent une alternative prometteuse par rapport aux actionneurs conventionnels, en particulier lorsqu’une réponse comparable à celle d’un muscle naturel est recherché. Parmi eux, les actionneurs à base de polymères conducteurs constituent une voie prometteuse pour des applications biomédicale où la biocompatibilité, la compacité et un positionnement précis sont requis. Néanmoins, l’essor de dispositifs fonctionnels est fortement ralenti en raison de la faible efficacité d’actionnement et de la rapide dégradation des performances de ce type d’actionneurs. L’absence de rétroaction sur la force ou sur la position est également un autre aspect limitant le développement de cette approche. L’objectif de cette thèse est de proposer une technique de fabrication à grande échelle pour l’élaboration d’actionneurs à base de polymères électroactifs ioniques et permettant également l’intégration de capteurs pour un contrôle rétroactif. L’impression par jet d’encre est une technologie clé pour le dépôt de polymères et une des plus alternatives les plus prometteuses pour la production d’actionneurs à base de polymères conducteurs. Cependant, la fabrication d’actionneurs par technique jet d’encre n’est pas encore totalement maîtrisée à cause des propriétés rhéologiques des solutions de polymères conducteurs qui rendent difficile le contrôle de l’éjection de gouttes mais également en raison de la nature complexe des interactions entre la solution et l’échantillon qui peut conduire à une faible adhésion et un mauvais contrôle de l’infiltration de l’encre. Pour optimiser cette méthode de fabrication, des membranes hybrides contenant des ions ont été développées. Le greffage d’un monomère hydrophile par plasma argon avec un dépôt contrôlé en profondeur a été utilisé pour obtenir des membranes en polyfluorure de vinylidène (PVDF) avec des surfaces hydrophiles tout en conservant une zone centrale hydrophobe. Ces membranes hybrides ont permis d’obtenir, par dépôt de gouttes, des actionneurs de morphologies très variées à base de polymères conducteurs. En outre, la durée de vie d’actionneurs obtenus avec une solution conductrice de poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) a été sensiblement augmentée avec des déformations de plus de 0.6% sans qu’aucun signe de délamination ne soit perceptible. Enfin, la nature complexe des mécanismes physico-chimiques à l’origine des interactions entre le film polymère et la membrane poreuse a été mieux appréhendée durant ce travail. Les conditions nécessaires pour assurer une forte adhésion et les effets conduisant à un mauvais contrôle de l’infiltration ont été partiellement identifiés. Ces résultats ont permis de définir les paramètres clés concernant la préparation de la membrane et la composition de la solution polymère. En associant l’ensemble de ces résultats avec les exigences liées à l’utilisation de l’impression de solutions par jet d’encre, nous avons réalisé, en utilisant cette technique de dépôt, les premiers actionneurs ioniques à base de PEDOT:PSS. / Onic electroactive polymer based artificial muscles are promising alternative to traditional actuators, especially where compliant muscle-like response is desirable. Among them, conducting polymer actuators (CPAs) are most promising for biomedical applications, where biocompatibility, compactness and accurate positioning is essential. Nevertheless, development of applicable devices is hold down by their low efficiency and fast performance deterioration. The absence of a tactile, force or position feed-back is another feature limiting the development of functional devices. The goal of this thesis is to develop a fabrication technique for conducting polymer based actuators that could be up-scalable and enable facile integration of sensory feedback. Inkjet printing is key technology in the field of defined polymer deposition as well as in fabrication of strain sensors. It is also one of the most promising alternatives to prevalent fabrication of conducting polymer actuators. Nevertheless, inkjet printed actuators were not yet realized due to rheological properties of conducting polymer solutions that challenge jetting and the complex solution - membrane interactions, that lead to poor adhesion or uncontrolled infiltration. In order to enable this fabrication method, hybrid ion-storing membranes were developed. Argon plasma induced grafting-to of hydrophilic macromonomer with limited-indepth deposition was used to obtain polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with hydrophilic upper surfaces and hydrophobic centre. Functionalized PVDF membranes were shown to withhold good adhesion to the conducting polymer films and preserve electrically insulating layer in between them. Hybrid membranes were demonstrated to be advantageous in fabrication of CPAs by drop casting and enable production of actuators with various morphologies. Furthermore, fabricated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) based actuators demonstrated long lifetime with no signs of delamination as well as large strain of more than 0.6%. In addition, the complex nature of the physico-chemical mechanisms of the interactions between the polymer film and the porous membrane was better understood during this work. The conditions necessary in order to ensure strong adhesion as well as circumstances leading to uncontrolled infiltration were partially identified. These were used to set up limits to membrane preparation and polymer solution composition. Combining obtained knowledge with known requirements for inkjet printable solutions lead to the realization of the first inkjet printed PEDOT:PSS based ionic actuators.

No description available.