U-029
McKibben Artificial Muscles: Pneumatic Actuators with Biomechanical Intelligence
Authors: Glenn K. Klute, Dept. of Bioengineering; Joseph M. Czerniecki, Dept.
of Rehabilitation Medicine; Blake Hannaford,Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Affiliation: University of Washington
Abstract
This paper reports on the design of a biorobotic actuator. Biological requirements
are developed from published reports in the muscle physiology literature whose parameters
are extracted and applied in the form of the Hill muscle model. Data from several
vertebrate species (rat, frog, cat, and human) are used to evaluate the performance
of a McKibben pneumatic actuator. The experimental results show the force-length
properties of the actuator are muscle-like, but the force-velocity properties are
not. The design of a hydraulic damper with fixed orifices, placed in parallel with
the McKibben actuator, is proposed to improve the force-velocity performance. Simulation
results of this practical design indicate a significant improvement.
Glenn K. Klute
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-2500
206/616-4936 voice
206/543-3842 fax
gklute@u.washington.edu