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Updated: Aug 5, 2025
07:09
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
Published on: August 17, 2018
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Owl-Neck-Spine-Inspired, Additively Manufactured, Joint Assemblies with Shape Memory Alloy Wire Actuators
Robin Löffler1, Stephan Tremmel2, Rüdiger Hornfeck1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Building Services Engineering, Nuremberg Institute of Technology, Kesslerplatz 12, 90489 Nuremberg, Germany.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 28, 2023
Summary
Researchers mimicked the American barn owl
Area of Science:
- Biomimetics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Nature offers efficient joint designs, exemplified by the American barn owl's flexible cervical spine.
- Replicating these natural joints is challenging due to complex shapes and the need to mimic musculature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To biomimetically engineer a novel joint assembly inspired by owl neck vertebrae.
- To overcome limitations of shape memory alloy actuators for muscle substitution in artificial joints.
Main Methods:
- Utilized X-ray and micro-computed tomography for analyzing owl vertebrae.
- Employed additive manufacturing to create scaled-up, technically usable joint assemblies.
- Integrated shape memory alloy wire actuators into additively manufactured components for muscle substitution.
Main Results:
- Developed joint designs that compensate for low actuator contraction rates by integrating long wire lengths.
- Achieved sufficient force output and movement in small installation spaces.
- Demonstrated the technical applicability of the biomimetic joints through testing.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully translated biological joint principles into functional artificial joints.
- Biomimetic design combined with advanced manufacturing and smart materials offers a viable approach for complex joint replication.
- The developed joints show promise for applications requiring compact, high-force actuation.
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