The Muscle Low-Down
Needs Controllable –React to output from software via controller Fast –Respond and recover quickly Provide 180° of rotation Behave approximately like actual muscles Durable – cycles
How much contraction? 2in 14 in 10 in Muscle length= 10 in. Muscle+Tendon length= 14 in. Moment arm= 2in. After rotation the muscle have to be 6 in. long so that the muscle+tendon length is 10 in. (10-6)/10=40% contraction Changing to 1 inch moment arm with 4 inches of tendon and a twelve inch upper arm necessitates a 22% contraction.
Air Muscles Pros: –Can contract by 25% easily –Similar to muscles in appearance and action –Quick Cons: –Complex to control: electrically actuated valves and such –bulky
Nitinol Muslce Wire Pros: –All electrical control –Small form –React quickly Cons: –Slow cool down time –Can not contract more than 5% repeatedly
Air Muscle Implementation Idea 3-way valve Pressure Cylinder + - Pressurized air Exhaust From muscle Valve When the pressure is turned off, the muscle can immediately relax.
Muslce Wire Implementation Idea Make the actual length of the wire longer somehow so that it contracts a greater distance.