Static modeling of antagonistic pneumatic actuator for robotic applications

The biological of spider legs inspired the development of a biomimetic pneumatic actuator for robotic applications. The concept is to straighten the joint by pressurizing the interior of an exoskeleton to inflate a bellows-like flexible membrane. The flexion is initiated by contraction of a McKibben-type muscle, which is integrated in the exoskeleton chamber. A detailed mathematical model to operate these antagonistic joint actuators is presented. Feasible torque and angle characteristics of the actuator depending on the input pressures are also presented and control strategies are discussed.