Biomimetic artificial muscle module, biomimetic artificial muscle assembly having the same, and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973620-B2
Application number	US-201916264183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

In a biomimetic artificial muscle module, a biomimetic artificial muscle assembly having the biomimetic artificial muscle module, and a method of controlling the biomimetic artificial muscle module, the biomimetic artificial muscle module includes an operating part, an elastic part, a driving part, a locking part and first and second sensors. The operating part contracts or relaxes along a longitudinal direction. The elastic part is connected to a first end of the operating part, and behaves elastically behave according to an external force. The driving part is connected to a second end of the operating part, and drives the operating part to be contracted or relaxed. The locking part selectively blocks a length of the operating part from being changed. The first and second sensors respectively sense the elastic part and the operating part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial muscle module comprising:
an operating part contracting or relaxing along a longitudinal direction of the artificial muscle module and having first and second ends opposing each other in the longitudinal direction;
an elastic part connected to the first end of the operating part, and behaving elastically according to an external force;
a driving part connected to the second end of the operating part, and driving the operating part to be contracted or relaxed; and
first and second sensors respectively sensing the elastic part and the operating part,
wherein a length of the operating part is selectively prevented from being changed in the longitudinal direction.

2. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving transmitting part configured for transmitting the driving of the driving part to the operating part.

3. The artificial muscle module of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first connector connecting the elastic part with the operating part; and
a second connector connecting the operating part with the driving transmitting part.

4. The artificial muscle module of claim 3 , wherein the driving part, the operating part, the driving transmitting part and the second connector are integrally formed with each other.

5. The artificial muscle module of claim 2 , further comprising:
an outer part forming an outer structure of the artificial muscle module; and
a cover enclosing elements inside of the outer part, and connecting the elements to outer elements.

6. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is configured to measure a length or a tension of the elastic part, and
the second sensor is configured to measure (i) driving amount of the driving part and/or (ii) a length or a tension of the operating part to calculate driving amount, a length, a tension, a velocity and an acceleration of the artificial muscle module.

7. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein the elastic part is one of a spring, an elastic rubber and an elastic wire,
wherein the operating part is one of shape-memory alloys, a twisting wire/fiber and a thermal contraction tube, and
wherein the driving part is driven via one of pneumatic driving, electric field driving, thermal driving and mechanical driving.

8. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein the driving part and the operating part are configured to be blocked from being operated to minimize energy consumption, when elastic behavior of the muscle-tendon unit is unnecessary to be considered.

9. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein in mimicking isometric contraction, a length of the elastic part is increased or decreased, a length of the operating part is decreased or increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle module is maintained.

10. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein in mimicking isotonic contraction, a length of the elastic part is maintained, a length of the operating part is decreased or increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle module is decreased or increased.

11. The artificial muscle module of claim 1 , wherein in mimicking elastic contraction, a length of the elastic part is decreased or increased, a length of the operating part is decreased o increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle module is decreased or increased due to the sum of length change of the elastic part and the operating part.

12. A method of controlling an artificial muscle module, the method comprising:
elastically behaving an elastic part selectively according to an external force;
selectively driving an operating part by a driving part, wherein the operating part has first and second ends opposing each other in the longitudinal direction, the elastic part connected to the first end of the operating part and the driving part connected to the second end of the operating part;
selectively contracting or relaxing the operating part driven by the driving part both feed-forward and feedback manner depending on a task to control an original length of an operating part; and
blocking the driving part and the operating part from being operated.

13. An artificial muscle assembly comprising:
an artificial muscle elastic module and an artificial muscle operating module, wherein the artificial muscle elastic module comprises:
an elastic part behaving elastically according to an external force; and
a first sensor sensing the elastic part,

wherein the artificial muscle operating module comprises:
an operating part contracting or relaxing along a longitudinal direction, the operating part having first and second ends opposing each other in the longitudinal direction, the first end of the operating part connected to the elastic part;
a driving part connected to the second end of the operating part, and driving the operating part to be contracted or relaxed; and
a second sensor sensing the operating part or the driving part,
wherein a length of the operating part is selectively prevented from being changed in the longitudinal direction.

14. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of the artificial muscle elastic modules is connected, continuously in series, in parallel with each other, or serially and in parallel,
wherein a plurality of the artificial muscle operating modules is connected, continuously in series, in parallel with each other, or serially and in parallel,
wherein the artificial muscle elastic module is connected to at least one artificial muscle operating modules.

15. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein an outer part and a cover are formed at each of the artificial muscle elastic module and the artificial muscle operating module.

16. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the driving part and the operating part are configured to be blocked from being operated to minimize energy consumption, when elastic behavior of the muscle-tendon unit is unnecessary to be considered.

17. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein in mimicking isometric contraction, a length of the artificial muscle elastic module is increased or decreased, a length of the artificial muscle operating module is decreased or increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle assembly is maintained.

18. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein in mimicking isotonic contraction, a length of the artificial muscle elastic module is maintained, a length of the artificial muscle operating module is decreased or increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle assembly is decreased or increased.

19. The artificial muscle assembly of claim 13 , wherein in mimicking elastic contraction, a length of the artificial muscle elastic module is decreased or increased, a length of the artificial muscle operating module is decreased or increased, and thus total length of the artificial muscle assembly is decreased or increased due to the sum of length change of the artificial muscle elastic module and the artificial muscle operating module.

20. A method of controlling an artificial muscle assembly including an artificial muscle elastic module and an artificial muscle operating module, the method comprising:
elastically behaving an elastic part of the artificial muscle elastic module selectively according to an external force;
selectively driving an operating part of the artificial muscle operating module by a driving part of the artificial muscle operating module,

Assignees

• Korea Inst Mach & Materials

Inventors

• Choi Sang-Kyu
• Kwon Hyun Joon
• Shim Jae Keun
• Son Young-Su
• Park Cheol-Hoon
• Kim Seyoung

Classifications

• B25J9/1075

  with muscles or tendons · CPC title

• B25J9/08

  characterised by modular constructions · CPC title

• A61F2002/5093

  Tendon- or ligament-replacing cables · CPC title

• A61F2002/5066

  Muscles · CPC title

• A61F2002/503

  for adjusting elasticity, flexibility, spring rate or mechanical tension · CPC title