PVC gel based artificial muscles: Characterizations and actuation modular constructions

Polymer materials based artificial muscles have the properties of being soft, lightweight, and flexible which are similar to the nature muscular actuators. In our previous study, we have developed a contraction type artificial muscle based on plasticized poly vinyl chloride (PVC) gel and meshed electrodes. And we have improved the characteristics to make it close to the level of natural muscle. It has many positive characteristics, such as stable actuation in the air, high output, notable response rate, and low power consumption. So a wide application is expected. However, for practical applications, it is necessary to consider some specific criteria, such as performance criteria and structural criteria. In this study, we introduced the most updated properties of PVC gel artificial muscles and proposed three types of mechanical actuation modular constructions for making the PVC gel artificial muscle as a robust actuation device for robotics and mechatronics. And we tested a prototype to examine the effectiveness of the proposed modules. Finally, an analytical model for the static characteristics of PVC gel artificial muscles at different applied voltages was derived and showed good agreement with experimental results measured by a prototype of modules.