Passive returning mechanism for twisted string actuators
Muhammad Usman, Bhivraj Suthar, Hyunseok Seong, Elliot Hawkes, Igor Gaponov, Jee-Hwan Ryu
Abstract
The twisted string actuator is an actuator that is gaining popularity in various engineering and robotics and applications. However, the fundamental limitation of actuators of this type is the uni-directional action, meaning that the actuator can contract but requires external power to return to its initial state. This paper proposes 2 novel passive extension mechanisms based on buckling effect to solve the uni-directional issue of the twisted string actuator. The proposed mechanisms are mechanically simple and compact and provide a nearly-constant extension force throughout the operation range. The constant force can fully extend the twisted string actuator with minimal loss of force during contraction. The designed mechanisms are evaluated in a series of practical tests, and their performances are compared and discussed.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{icra2017_passivereturning,
title = {Passive returning mechanism for twisted string actuators},
author = {Muhammad Usman and Bhivraj Suthar and Hyunseok Seong and Elliot Hawkes and Igor Gaponov and Jee-Hwan Ryu},
booktitle = {ICRA 2017},
year = {2017}
}