McKibben Artificial Muscle Embedded with Stretchable Textile Sensor

Sota Suzuki, Shoma Tanaka, Hiroyuki Nabae, Shingo Maeda · Wiley · 2025

A new McKibben artificial muscle with an embedded stretchable textile sensor allows for real-time monitoring of soft robot posture without compromising performance.

High AI ConfidenceStrong SourceLaboratory ResearchEarly Research

Plain English summary

This study presents a novel McKibben artificial muscle that integrates a stretchable textile sensor, enabling real-time monitoring of its movement. The design maintains a compact structure while ensuring that the actuator's contraction rate is not affected. The embedded sensor allows for accurate displacement measurement without the need for external components.

Why this matters

This research addresses the challenge of monitoring soft actuators in robotics, which is crucial for their effective operation in dynamic environments. By simplifying the sensor integration, it enhances the usability of soft robots in various applications, potentially improving their performance and adaptability.

Key findings

  • Introduced a thin McKibben artificial muscle with an embedded resistive stretchable textile sensor.
  • The textile sensor does not degrade the contraction ratio of the actuator.
  • The embedded sensor allows for displacement measurement without external components.
  • The design maintains a compact structure with an outer diameter of 4.5 mm.
  • Demonstrated real-time measurement of joint posture in a robotic arm.

What's new

The integration of a stretchable textile sensor within the McKibben artificial muscle, allowing for compact design and effective monitoring without external components.

Limitations

The abstract does not discuss the specific applications or potential limitations of the technology in various environments.

Commercial context

The technology is still in the research phase and has not been commercialized.

Publication

Publisher
Wiley
Publication date
August 3, 2025
Research type
Paper
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Method note: Summaries and ratings on this page are generated by AI from the abstract only. Read the original paper for full context. · Model: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18