Abstract
Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) can offer excellent force-to-weight ratios and act as shape-changing actuator under injecting the actuation fluid into their bladders. PAMs could be easily utilized for morphing structures due to their millimeter-scale diameter. The pressurized PAM can serve not only as artificial muscle actuator which obtains contraction deformation capability but also as a spring system with variable stiffness. In this study, the stiffness behaviors of pressurized PAMs and a variable stiffness structure are investigated. By taking advantage of the designed PAMs which was conducted by the non- linear quasi-static model, significant changes in the spring stiffness can be achieved by air pressure control. A case study is presented to explore the potential behavior of a structure with circular permutation PAMs. The structure used in this case consists of sixteen PAMs with circular homogeneous distribution and a circular supporter with sixteen slide way runners. The stiffness of presented structure can vary flexibly in wide range through controlling the air pressure levels and slide deformation respectively.
Highlights
Pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) has received much attention in many application fields of bionics [1,2], medical care, morphing structures [3,4] and welfare, etc. due to its significant advantages of low cost, quick response time and high power/weight and power/volume ratios
A case study is presented to explore the potential behavior of a structure with circular permutation pneumatic muscle fibers (PAMs)
The pressurized PAM is investigated as a spring system with variable stiffness
Summary
Pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) has received much attention in many application fields of bionics [1,2], medical care, morphing structures [3,4] and welfare, etc. due to its significant advantages of low cost, quick response time and high power/weight and power/volume ratios. In 2011 Chen et al [7] created a morphing skin by embedding pneumatic muscle fibers (PAMs) in a flexible matrix of silicone rubber. Feng et al [9] embedded pneumatic muscle fibers into elastomer to form one kind of single-layer morphing skins. Shan et al [10] presented a multi-cellular fluidic flexible matrix composites (F2MC) sheet embedding multiple F2MC tubes side by side in a soft matrix. A case study has been conducted to investigate the behavior of laminated [+60/0/-60]s multi-cellular F2MC sheets [10]. A case study is presented to explore the potential behavior of a structure with circular permutation PAMs. The stiffness of presented structure can vary flexibly in wide range through controlling the air pressure levels and slide deformation respectively
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