Hydro Artificial Muscle Exo-Musculature

Abstract

The Exo-Musculature project is a novel hydraulically-actuated elastic muscle, which is inspired by the capabilities of a biological muscle. The design has certain advantages over natural muscles, such as being able to maintain a position without expending energy. This design uses an elastic element to apply tensile force, which is released when hydraulic pressure is applied. This gives the muscle the unique characteristic of storing elastic energy when pressurized and releasing it to contract. Finally, our prototype is constructed using common materials, making it an extremely low cost solution for both medical and robotic applications.