Artificial muscle actuators in biorobotic fish fins

Abstract

Artificial muscle technologies offer the possibility of designing robotic systems that take full advantage of biological architectures. Of current artificial muscle technologies, nickel titanium (Ni-Ti) shape memory alloys are among a few that are readily usable by engineering labs without specialized skills in material science and/or chemistry. Ni-Ti actuators are now being used to replace servomotors in biorobotic fins. This has significantly reduced the volume that is required for actuators, and will enable several fins to be integrated into a multi finned, flexible bodied, biorobotic fish.