Active musculoskeletal structures equipped with a circulatory system and a network of ionic polymeric gel muscles
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Presented are descriptions of design and fabrication of an active musculoskeletal structure composed of an artificial human skeleton of 5.3 feet in height. This skeletal structure is further equipped with an artificial heart in the form of a multi-channel computer-controlled fluid pump. The fluid pump may be programmed to selectively pump either an acid, a base or de-ionized water to a network of veins that feed a network of pairs of antagonist contractile synthetic muscles. These muscles are manufactured in the laboratory from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber bundles that are specially designed and packaged inside flexible, hyperelastic latex membranes. Each pair of muscles act as a pair of antagonist actuator similar to the biceps and triceps muscles of the human arm. The initial fabrication indicates that it is possible to dynamically control such active musculoskeletal structures. A model is also presented for the dynamic control of such antagonist muscles. The model is intended to be used to study the human musculoskeletal dynamics.
- OSTI ID:
- 395229
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940691-; ISBN 1-56676-171-9; TRN: IM9648%%352
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. international conference on intelligent materials, Williamsburg, VA (United States), 5-8 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Second international conference on intelligent materials: Proceedings; Rogers, C.A.; Wallace, G.G. [eds.]; PB: 1410 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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