Quantification of dynamic property of pneumatic muscle actuator for design of therapeutic robot control
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Rapid Manufacturing of Thin Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Robots
Published on: November 8, 2019
Sivakumar Balasubramanian1, He Huang, Jiping He
1Harrington Dept. of Bioeng., Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ, USA.
Abstract:
Robot-assisted therapy has shown potential in neuromotor rehabilitation. A therapeutic robot driven by pneumatic muscle actuators has been developed in our research group. However, the design of fine and real-time feedback robot control is a challenge. One of the difficulties is the lack of a general dynamic model of the pneumatic muscle actuator. In this study, a phenomenological model has been developed to quantify the dynamic behavior of pneumatic muscle actuator by fitting the experimental length response of the pneumatic muscle, to a step pressure input. In addition, comparison of the dynamic responses of two pneumatic muscles of different dimensions has also been studied. Several control strategies for the pneumatic muscle actuator are discussed based on the results from this study.
Related Concept Videos
Motor Unit Stimulation
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
Application of Pascal's Law
Hydraulic systems are used to operate automotive brakes, hydraulic jacks, and numerous other mechanical systems. We can derive a relationship between the forces in a simple hydraulic system by applying...

