Development of an artificial muscle linear actuator using ionic polymer–metal composites

Abstract

We are developing an artificial muscle linear actuator using ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMC)—electro-active polymers that bend in response to electric stimuli—and the goal of our study is applying the actuator to robotic applications, especially to a biped walking robot. In this paper, we will describe the structure of the actuator and an empirical model of the actuator which has two inputs and one output, and whose parameters are identified from input-output data. Based on the empirical model, basic experiments and position control of the linear actuator are demonstrated. Then, we consider walking control of a small-sized biped walking robot. In the application we assume that the developed actuators are connected both in series and in parallel to a joint of the walking robot so that the actuators supply enough torque to the robot, and that they are stretched and compressed enough. It is shown throughout simulations that the biped walking robot with the actuators can walk on level ground with a period synchronized with the period of the input signal.