Pneumatic artificial muscle unit using elastic energy and operating method thereof

Pneumatic Artificial Muscle with Enhanced Response Speed Using Elastic Energy

This technology relates to a pneumatic artificial muscle unit and its operating method that utilizes elastic energy. By incorporating passive elastic elements, it achieves rapid contraction and relaxation movements.

Conventional pneumatic artificial muscles suffer from slow response speeds and limited contraction rates due to the time required for pressurization and exhaust, which significantly hinders real-time motion assistance in wearable and collaborative robots.

This technology combines an inelastic sleeve and an elastic tube with a tension spring to store and release elastic energy, thereby improving response speed and enabling rapid contraction and expansion.

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Key Features:

• An inelastic sleeve that forms the pneumatic artificial muscle unit and performs repeated contraction and expansion movements along its longitudinal axis.
• A gas inlet connected to one end of the inelastic sleeve for gas injection, and an exhaust valve connected to the other end for gas discharge.
• A tension spring and an elastic tube positioned between the gas inlet and the exhaust valve within the inelastic sleeve to accumulate elastic energy.
• A trigger mechanism that opens the opening/closing member within the exhaust valve when the inelastic sleeve reaches a predetermined expansion length.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of a human-augmentation hybrid robot suit capable of running 100m in 7 seconds and being worn comfortably for 12 hours, and from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of core technologies for human-robot interaction-based hybrid control and interface design for safe and efficient collaboration, mobility, and rehabilitation.