Control of the actuator with pneumatic artificial muscles in antagonistic connection

Abstract

The actuator based on pneumatic artificial muscles in antagonistic connection was designed and realized on the author’s workplace. The pneumatic artificial muscles are acting against themselves and resultant position of the actuator is given by equilibrium of their forces according to different pressures in muscles. The pressures in artificial muscles (and in this manner muscles contraction too) are controlled by four solenoid valves (two for muscles filling and two for emptying). On the theoretical and experimental basis the block diagram for position control of the actuator arm (with possible slave velocity control loop) was designed. The new algorithm based on simultaneous pressure control only in one muscle was designed too. This algorithm reduces requirements for control of such actuator.