Development of artificial muscle actuator using ionic polymer with its application to biped walking robots

Abstract

We are developing an artificial muscle linear actuator using ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMC) which is an electro-active polymer that bends in response to electric stimuli and the goal of our study is to apply 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, we demonstrate walking simulations of a small-sized biped walking robot. In the numerical simulation 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 the simulation that the biped walking robot with the actuators can walk on a level ground with a period synchronized with a period of input signal.