Development of Manipulator Using a Gas–Liquid Phase-Change Actuator

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a manipulator driven by a miniaturized artificial muscle in which a tiny compressor can be installed. Pneumatic actuators, such as pneumatic artificial rubber muscles (PARMs), have been widely used in many industrial and robotic research applications because they are compact and lightweight. However, the compressors driving such actuators are relatively large, and the peripheral devices such as filters and valves also tend to be large. To solve this size problem, the authors have been researching soft actuators driven by gas–liquid phase changes (GLPCs). In this research, a manipulator using an artificial rubber muscle driven by GLPCs was fabricated and a gripping experiment was conducted.