Parametric Study of a Fluidic Artificial Muscle Actuated Electrohydraulic System

Abstract

Fluidic artificial muscles have the potential for a wide range of uses; from injury rehabilitation to high-powered hydraulic systems. Their modeling to date has largely been quasi-static and relied on the operator to adjust pressure so as to control force output and utilization while little work has been done to analyze the kinematics of the driving-systems involved in their operation. This paper utilizes an established electro-hydraulic model to perform a study of the components of a fluidic artificial muscle actuated climbing robot. Its purpose is to determine the effect of the robotic subsystems on function and efficiency for a small-scale system in order to extrapolate more general design and analysis schemes for future use. Its results indicate that important aspects to consider in design of the hydraulic system are system payload, operating pressure, pump selection, and FAM construction.