Concept and modelling of a soft rehabilitation actuator: the Peano muscle
The large, heavy and rigid form of traditional electric, hydraulic and pneumatic actuators is ill-suited to actuating rehabilitation devices worn on the body. Many alternative actuators have a more promising form, but do not share the reliability and availability of their counterparts. We propose the Peano muscle as solution. It is a soft, sheet-like fluid-powered actuator invented in 1959 by Mettam [1] that potentially shares the form, fabrication and materials of everyday clothing. Hence, it can give clothing the ability to move the body, whether for assistance or rehabilitation. As a relatively unexplored actuator, the Peano muscle lacks models that account for its material and geometry properties. We present and validate the MECHanical Approximation Lumped Parameter (MECHALP) model for accurately predicting the static force generation of Peano muscles. Its accuracy and physics-based nature makes it a useful tool that is foundational for the design and control of Peano muscle actuated rehabilitation wearables. This chapter explains the limitations of current actuators compared to the relevant requirements of rehabilitation devices; presents the concept of the Peano muscle as a promising rehabilitation actuator; and describes the MECHALP static model and its validation.
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