An analytical and experimental investigation of a jet pipe controlled electropneumatic actuator

In analytical and experimental investigation of a jet pipe controlled electropneumatic servoactuator designed for use in the Utah/MIT dextrous hand has been performed. An accurate dynamic model has been developed and verified which includes detailed representation of the jet pipe element, orifice areas and fluid flows. The effects and modeling of hysteresis in the jet pipe are discussed. Actuator saturation is shown to be an obstacle in achieving high bandwidth. Theoretical and experimental results are presented for frequency response and time-domain force tracking.