Other supporting online material for this manuscript includes the following: Movies S1 and S2

Films of conducting polymers can be oxidized and reduced in a reversible way. Any intermediate oxidation state determines an electrochemical equilibrium. Chemical or physical variables acting on the film may modify the equilibrium potential, so that the film acts as a sensor of the variable. The working potential of polypyrrole/DBSA (Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid) films, oxidized or reduced under...

This paper describes the design of a new type of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM), namely the Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PPAM). It was developed as an improvement with regard to existing types of PAM, e.g. the McKibben muscle. Its principle characteristic is its pleated membrane. It can inflate without material stretching and friction and has practically no stress in the direction pe...

This paper presents the design of a biped actuated by Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles. These actuators have a very high power to weight ratio and an inherent adaptable compliance. The mechanical design of the bipedal robot is modular, making parts easy to change and replace. The frame of the robot is made out of a high-grade aluminium alloy. The weight of the machine, all included, is abou...

FROM THE EDITOR Yoseph Bar-Cohen, JPL [email protected] The last year of the 2 Millennium, 1999, has been marked with important milestones for the field of EAP in terms of communication platforms. I am please to state that as of this year we have established 2 international conferences: SPIE – emphasizing actuators, mechanisms, smart structures and robotics; and MRS – emphasizing materials scie...

This paper describes the biped Lucy and it’s control architecture that will be used. Lucy is actuated by Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles, which have a very high power to weight ratio and an inherent adaptable compliance. These characteristics will be used to make Lucy walk in a dynamically stable manner while exploiting the adaptable passive behavior of these muscles. The paper will focus ...

Recent developments in chemical synthesis, nanoscale assembly, and molecularscale measurements enable the extension of the concept of macroscopic machines to the molecular and supramolecular levels. Molecular machines are capable of performing mechanical movements in response to external stimuli. They offer the potential to couple electrical or other forms of energy to mechanical action at the ...

In this paper, an implementation of the Region Competition algorithm for segmenting stereoscopic video sequences is shown. This algorithm is an essential task in the method in order to obtain a 3D characterization of artificial muscles. Image sequences are acquired by a two-cam computer vision system. Optimal and efficient segmentation of these images is our goal; information obtained from the ...

We developed a pneumatically powered orthosis for the human ankle joint. The orthosis consisted of a carbon fiber shell, hinge joint, and two artificial pneumatic muscles. One artificial pneumatic muscle provided plantar flexion torque and the second one provided dorsiflexion torque. Computer software adjusted air pressure in each artificial muscle independently so that artificial muscle force ...