Fuzzy Torque Control of the Bionic Flexible Manipulator Actuated by Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

A bionic flexible manipulator driven by pneumatic muscle actuator(PMA)can better reflect the flexibility of the mechanism.Current research on PMA mainly focuses on the modeling and control strategy of the pneumatic manipulator system.Compared with traditional electro-hydraulic actuators,the structure of PMA is simple but possesses strong nonlinearity and flexibility,which leads to the difficulty in improving the control accuracy.In this paper,the configuration design of a bionic flexible manipulator is performed by human physiological map,the kinematic model of the mechanism is established,and the dynamics is analyzed by Lagrange method.A fuzzy torque control algorithm is designed based on the computed torque method,where the fuzzy control theory is applied.The hardware experimental system is established.Through the co-simulation contrast test on MATLAB and ADAMS,it is found that the fuzzy torque control algorithm has better tracking performance and higher tracking accuracy than the computed torque method,and is applied to the entity control test.The experimental results show that the fuzzy torque algorithm can better control the trajectory tracking movement of the bionic flexible manipulator.This research proposes a fuzzy torque control algorithm which can compensate the error more effectively,and possesses the preferred trajectory tracking performance.

Design of wearable hand rehabilitation glove with soft hoop-reinforced pneumatic actuator

Traditional hand rehabilitation gloves usually use electrical motor as actuator with disadvantages of heaviness,bulkiness and less compliance.Recently,the soft pneumatic actuator is demonstrated to be more suitable for hand rehabilitation compared to motor because of its inherent compliance,flexibility and safety.In order to design a wearable glove in request of hand rehabilitation,a soft hoop-reinforced pneumatic actuator is presented.By analyzing the influence of its section shape and geometrical parameters on bending performance,the preferred structure of actuator is achieved based on finite element method.An improved hoop-reinforced actuator is designed after the fabrication and initial measurement,and its mathematical model is built in order to quickly obtain the bending angle response when pressurized.A series of experiment about bending performance are implemented to validate the agreement between the finite element,mathematical and experimental results,and the performance improvement of hoop-reinforced actuator.In addition,the designed hand rehabilitation glove is tested by measuring its output force and actual wearing experience.The output force can reach 2.5 to 3 N when the pressure is 200 kPa.The research results indicate that the designed glove with hoop-reinforced actuator can meet the requirements of hand rehabilitation and has prospective application in hand rehabilitation.

Dynamic Analysis and Decoupling Control of Octo-pneumatic Actuator Vibration Isolation Platform

Control of a six-DOF vibration isolation platform is generally difficult which is due to the strong coupling among its input and output channels. The dynamic behavior and decoupling approach of a six-DOF vibration isolation platform with eight pneumatic actuators are investigated. Owing to the symmetric configuration design of the platform, the coupling among different channels is greatly weakened. When the payload＇s principal axes of inertia parallel to the platform＇s axes of symmetry and the payload＇s center of mass is at the extension line of the platform＇s central axis, the motion can be decomposed into two independent single-input single-output channels and two independent two-input two-output subsystems. The second-order subsystems are decoupled further with the simultaneous matrix diagonalization. Thus a decoupling control strategy is developed. Effectiveness of the decoupling approach is verified through experiments of the platform, and the experimental results show that vibrations of the platform are attenuated obviously owing to the active control.

Rotation Control of a 3-DOF Parallel Mechanism Driven by Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

The pneumatic muscle actuator(PMA)has many advantages,such as good flexibility,high power/weight ratio,but its nonlinearity makes it difficult to build a static mathematical model with high precision.A new method is proposed to establish the model of PMA.The concept of hybrid elastic modulus which is related to the static characteristic of PMA is put forward,and the energy conservation law is used to achieve the expression of the hybrid elastic modulus,which can be fitted out based on experimental data,and the model of PMA can be derived from this expression.At the same time,a 3-DOF parallel mechanism(a new bionic shoulder joint)driven by five PMAs is designed.This bionic shoulder joint adopts the structure of two antagonistic PMAs actualizing a rotation control and three PMAs controlling another two rotations to get better rotation characteristics.The kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the mechanism are analyzed and a new static model of PMA is used to control it.Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new static model.

Analysis of Power Matching on Energy Savings of a Pneumatic Rotary Actuator Servo-Control System

When saving energy in a pneumatic system,the problem of energy losses is usually solved by reducing the air supply pressure.The power-matching method is applied to optimize the air-supply pressure of the pneumatic system,and the energy-saving effect is verified by experiments.First,the experimental platform of a pneumatic rotary actuator servo-control system is built,and the mechanism of the valve-controlled cylinder system is analyzed.Then,the output power characteristics and load characteristics of the system are derived,and their characteristic curves are drawn.The employed air compressor is considered as a constant-pressure source of a quantitative pump,and the power characteristic of the system is matched.The power source characteristic curve should envelope the output characteristic curve and load characteristic curve.The minimum gas supply pressure obtained by power matching represents the optimal gas supply pressure.The comparative experiments under two different gas supply pressure conditions show that the system under the optimal gas supply pressure can greatly reduce energy losses.

STUDY ON THE CONTROL OF SINGLE PNEUMATIC MUSCLE ACTUATOR

The control of single pneumatic muscle actuator is studied, as one basic partof research on the parallel-robot arthrosis actuated by pneumatic muscle actuators. Experimentsshow that a self-modified fuzzy-PID controller is obviously effective for its position servo and asimple PID controller is good for its force track.

Study on Control of Pneumatic Selecting and Shifting Actuators Using Rapid Control Prototyping

A gearbox in-the-loop control platform using dSPACE real-time system is designed for the study on the control technology of pneumatic selecting and shifting actuators based on rapid control prototyping.The operational principle of such actuators was analyzed using dSPACE hardware and software,resulting in a better knowledge of the logical relationship among solenoid valves,gear positions of cylinders and system input/output.Based on these,a control model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment and rapidly improved to meet requirements through experiments.Relevant tests have shown that analysis efficiency on selecting and shifting actuators could be raised and development of control strategy facilitated.

Development of a Wearable Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot Based on Reinforced Soft Pneumatic Actuators

Dyskinesia of the upper limbs caused by stroke,sports injury,or trafc accidents limits the ability to perform the activities of daily living.Besides the necessary medical treatment,correct and scientifc rehabilitation training for the injured joint is an important auxiliary means during the treatment of the efected upper limb.Conventional upperlimb rehabilitation robots have some disadvantages,such as a complex structure,poor compliance,high cost,and poor portability.In this study,a novel soft wearable upper limb rehabilitation robot(SWULRR)with reinforced soft pneumatic actuators(RSPAs)that can withstand high pressure and featuring excellent loading characteristics was developed.Driven by RSPAs,this portable SWULRR can perform rehabilitation training of the wrist and elbow joints.In this study,the kinematics of an SWULRR were analyzed,and the force and motion characteristics of RSPA were studied experimentally.The results provide a reference for the development and application of wearable upper limb rehabilitation robots.An experimental study on the rotation angle of the wrist and the pressure of the RSPA was conducted to test the efect of the rehabilitation training and verify the rationality of the theoretical model.The process of wrist rehabilitation training was tested and evaluated,indicating that SWULRR with RSPAs will enhance the fexibility,comfort,and safety of rehabilitation training.This work is expected to promote the development of wearable upper-limb rehabilitation robots based on modular reinforced soft pneumatic actuators.

Position Control of Single Pneumatic Muscle Actuator

The PID, fuzzy, self-organized fuzzy and self-organized fuzzy-PID controllers are adopted in the position control of single pneumatic muscle actuator. Experiments show that the self-organized fuzzy-PID is obviously effective for the position control of single pneumatic muscle actuator, which can realize precision within 0.3 mm and withstand 18?N variable load plus about 36?N fixed load. It is relatively precise and robust.

Intelligent PID Control of Pneumatic Rotary Actuator Angle Servo-System

In order to solve the problems that make the orientation of pneumatic rotary actuator inaccurate, a newly intelligent PID control algorithm is proposed. Pneumatic rotary actuator angle servo-system uses electropneumatic proportional valve as control device, which changes the pressure of cavity and then pushes the actuator to revolve to the expected position. Using intelligent PID control algorithm, several special methods were put forward to overcome the connatural shortcomings of pneumatic system and make the rotary actuator track the expected value timely and accurately. Experimental results have shown that by using this intelligent algorithm, the performance index of system was improved greatly.

A Survey on Pneumatic Muscle Actuators Modeling

The aim of this article is to provide a survey on the most popular modeling approaches for PMAs （pneumatic muscle actuators）. PMAs are highly non-linear pneumatic actuators where their elongation is proportional to the interval pressure. During the last decade, there has been an increase in the industrial and scientific utilization of PMAs, due to their advantages such as high strength and small weight, while various types of PMAs with different technical characteristics have appeared in the literature. This article will： （a） analyse the PMA＇s operation from a mathematical modeling perspective; （b） present their merits and drawbacks of the most common PMAs; and （c） establish the fundamental basis for developing industrial applications and conducting research in this field.

Pneumatic Rotary Actuator Angle Control System

Based on the adaptive control method, a kind of parameter adjustor was used to control pneumatic rotary actuator to track the expected output. The system uses electropneumatic proportional valve as control device, which adjusts the gas flow of actuator 's two cavities, then changes the pressure of cavity and pushes the piston of actuator to move, so the rotary actuator 's axis can be made to revolve to the required angle at last. According to the characteristic of pneumatic system, the control system was described with a fourth-order mathematic model. The control rule is deduced by model reference adaptive control method. By the result of experiment, it was proved that by using the adaptive control method, the output of rotary actuator could track the expected value timely and accurately.

Simulation and Experimental Study of Dynamic Characteristics of a Pneumatic Actuator in Air Splicer

Splicing process parameters determined by dynamic characteristic of pneumatic actuator in air splicer have a significant influence on the performance of spliced yarn. Both gas thermodynamic and pneumatic actuator dynamic models, which were solved by the Runge-Kutta algorithm, were established to analyze the relationship among structural parameters of a pneumatic actuator and splicing process parameters such as splicing duration and gas consumption. Additionally,a visualization test bench to observe the dynamics of the pneumatic actuator and a mass flow measurement system to track splicing duration and gas consumption were designed. Comparisons between experimental data and simulation results show that the mathematical model accurately accounts for the dynamic characteristics of the pneumatic actuator,and consequently predicts splicing process parameters, which provides a theoretical foundation for the design optimization of air splicer.

Soft pneumatic actuators by digital light processing combined with injection-assisted post-curing

The soft robotics display huge advantages over their rigid counterparts when interacting with living organisms and fragile objects.As one of the most efficient actuators toward soft robotics,the soft pneumatic actuator(SPA)can produce large,complex responses with utilizing pressure as the only input source.In this work,a new approach that combines digital light processing(DLP)and injection-assisted post-curing is proposed to create SPAs that can realize different functionalities.To enable this,we develop a new class of photo-cross linked elastomers with tunable mechanical properties,good stretchability,and rapid curing speed.By carefully designing the geometry of the cavities embedded in the actuators,the resulting actuators can realize contracting,expanding,flapping,and twisting motions.In addition,we successfully fabricate a soft self-sensing bending actuator by injecting conductive liquids into the three-dimensional(3D)printed actuator,demonstrating that the present method has the potential to be used to manufacture intelligent soft robotic systems.

Ultralong Stretchable Soft Actuator(US2A):Design,Modeling and Application

Actuator plays a significant role in soft robotics.This paper proposed an ultralong stretchable soft actuator(US2A)with a variable and sizeable maximum elongation.The US2A is composed of a silicone rubber tube and a bellows woven sleeve.The maximal extension can be conveniently regulated by just adjusting the wrinkles’initial angle of the bellows woven sleeve.The kinematics of US2A could be obtained by geometrically analyzing the structure of the bellows woven sleeve when the silicone rubber tube is inflated.Based on the principle of virtual work,the actuating models have been established:the pressure-elongation model and the pressure-force model.These models reflect the influence of the silicone tube’s shell thickness and material properties on the pneumatic muscle’s performance,which facilitates the optimal design of US2A for various working conditions.The experimental results showed that the maximum elongation of the US2A prototype is 257%,and the effective elongation could be variably regulated in the range of 0 and 257%.The proposed models were also verified by pressure-elongation and pressure-force experiments,with an average error of 5%and 2.5%,respectively.Finally,based on the US2A,we designed a pneumatic rehabilitation glove,soft arm robot,and rigid-soft coupling continuous robot,which further verified the feasibility of US2A as a soft driving component.

Performance analysis of a pneumatic to servo converted system for electrode actuation in resistance spot welding using 304L austenitic stainless steel

A high current, AC waveform controller with C-type body frame of spot welder(75 k VA), was examined for the electrode actuating system whose pneumatically driven system has been redesigned and refitted for the servo based system without any vertical spring assistance in the 50 mm movable distance. Moreover, the pressing mechanism was carefully handled during the entire pressing tasks as to ensure that no catastrophic reaction happens for the electrodes' caps, electrodes' holders as well as the other part of mechanical assembly. With the mechanically originated-pneumatic and also the converted-servo systems, the stainless steels are welded for both systems to characterize the improvements. While the welding processes were carried out, the electrical signals have been captured to compute the signals' representation of entire sequences. Later, the welded samples were underwent the tensile shear test, metallurgical observation and hardness test. The analytical results show distinct changes in the force profiles which has led to profound changes in mechanical properties of welded specimens.

Biomimetic soft robotic wrist with 3-DOF motion and stiffness tunability based on ring-reinforced pneumatic actuators and a particle jamming joint

The human wrist, a complex articulation of skeletal muscles and two-carpal rows, substantially contributes to improvements in maneuverability by agilely performing three-degree-of-freedom(3-DOF) orienting tasks and regulating stiffness according to variations in interaction forces. However, few soft robotic wrists simultaneously demonstrate dexterous 3-DOF motion and variable stiffness;in addition, they do not fully consider a soft-rigid hybrid structure of integrated muscles and two carpal rows.In this study, we developed a soft-rigid hybrid structure to design a biomimetic soft robotic wrist(BSRW) that is capable of rotating in the x and y directions, twisting around the z-axis, and possessing stiffness-tunable capacity. To actuate the BSRW, a lightweight soft-ring-reinforced bellows-type pneumatic actuator(SRBPA) with large axial, linear deformation(η_(lcmax)=70.6%,η_(lemax)=54.3%) and small radial expansion(η_(demax)=3.7%) is designed to mimic the motion of skeletal muscles. To represent the function of two-carpal rows, a compact particle-jamming joint(PJJ) that combines particles with a membrane-covered ballsocket mechanism is developed to achieve various 3-DOF motions and high axial load-carrying capacity(>60 N). By varying the jamming pressure, the stiffness of the PJJ can be adjusted. Finally, a centrally positioned PJJ and six independently actuated SRBPAs, which are in an inclined and antagonistic arrangement, are sandwiched between two rigid plates to form a flexible,stable, and compact BSRW. Such a structure enables the BSRW to have a dexterous 3-DOF motion, high load-carrying ability,and stiffness tunability. Experimental analysis verify 3-DOF motion of BSRW, producing force of 29.6 N and 36 N and torque of2.2 Nm in corresponding rotations. Moreover, the range of rotational angle and stiffness-tuning properties of BSRW are studied by applying jamming pressure to the PJJ. Finally, a system combining a BSRW and a soft enclosing gripper is proposed to demonstrate outstanding manipulation capability in potential applications.

Investigation of mechanical and electrical characteristics of selfsensing pneumatic torsional actuators

Soft pneumatic actuators are one of the most promising actuation for soft robots,and great achievements have been obtained.But it remains challenging to endow sensing capabilities to pneumatic actuators,especially for the sensing ability originating directly from the actuator architecture.Herein,a self-sensing pneumatic torsional actuator(SPTA)is designed based on the electromagnetic induction effect and magnetically responsive materials.The SPTA can generate feedback voltage and current with the deformation,in which the sensing function comes from its inherent structure.To investigate the mechanical and electrical characteristics,an experimental platform and a finite element model are established,respectively.We find that the torsion angle and output torque increase in nonlinear with the actuating pressure.The maximum torsion angle is 66.35°,which is 84.34%of that for the actuator fabricated by pure rubber.The maximum output torque(24.9 N mm)improves by 23.19%compared with the actuator made by pure rubber.As regards the electrical characteristics,the maximum feedback voltage and current are 2.90μV and 29.50 nA when the SPTA is actuated by a pressure of−40 kPa.We also demonstrate that the relationship between the torsion angle and the magnetic flux change is approximately linear.Finally,the number of turns of wires,magnetic powders contents,and magnetic direction on the feedback voltage and current are studied.Results show that the feedback voltage and current can be enhanced by increasing the number of turns and magnetic powders contents.We envision that the SPTA would be promising for soft robots to realize their accuracy control and intelligentization.

An Experimental Determination of the Supply and Exhaust Pressures in an Electro-Pneumatic Clutch Actuation System

Inlet and outlet orifices in an actuation chamber are sources through which the supply and exhaust pressures pass during the actuation process in clutch systems. They are key ingredients in an actuation chamber and are very phenomenal in heavy-duty vehicle operation. It is these pressures that initiate linear or rotary motions in drive systems. The pressure actions are processed in an enclosure termed an actuation chamber. Oftentimes, the forces or pressures produced in an actuation chamber are unknown and immeasurable owing to a lack of precise instruments to accomplish them. This challenge can only be approached via an improvised technique that requires experimentation. This is precisely what this presentation is all about. The knowledge of these parameters is important in the study of the actuation process in electro-pneumatic clutch systems of heavy-duty vehicles. The study was done with a Mercedes Benz Actros Truck Model MP 2, 2031 Actuator chamber. An empirical and analytical approach was adopted. Meter rule, Venire Callipers and Mass Spring Balance were deployed for the experiments. Piston coil or spring, clutch distance in the actuator, the cross-sectional diameter of the actuator, and displacement in the free lengths of the coils among others were measured. The results of the experiments were analysed and used to determine the values of the supply (inlet) and exhaust (outlet) pressures which results stood at 9.61 bars and 11.299 bars, respectively.

A Kind of PWM Pneumatic Servo Control System——Modulation Methods and Dynamic Responses

Vibrations or dither's are features of the PWM servo control system in their steady outputs. On the grounds of analyses and experiments of a PWM pneumatic servo control system, the paper puts forward four varieties of PWM modulation methods, and concludes on the relationship between dithers and the different methods, and then discusses the influence of friction to the dithers. Results from experiments regarding the dynamic and static responses on the given system support the theories presented.