Design and Control of Soft Robotic Wearable with SMA-based Artificial Muscle Fibers for Ankle Assistance
Eunsung Joo, Changhwan Kim, Seungbin Im, Sumin Helen Koo, Je-Sung Koh
Abstract
Soft robotic wearables, with lightweight and flexible actuation, have shown promising results in assistive applications. However, it remains unclear whether they can be made fully comfortable and suitable for everyday use. In this study, we introduce a clothing-type soft robotic wearable embedded with shape memory alloy (SMA) based artificial muscle fibers for ankle plantarflexion assistance. We conducted force characterization of SMA wires, analyzing the effects of thickness, strain, applied current, and number of wires. The actuator was designed to achieve assistive force of 80 N and implemented a closed-loop controller with a PI controller to enable precise force and displacement control. Last, we demonstrate that the developed system can deliver controlled and repeatable forces in bench tests and modulate peak force according to target assistive levels on the ankle during walking in a user study.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{iros2025_designandcontrol,
title = {Design and Control of Soft Robotic Wearable with SMA-based Artificial Muscle Fibers for Ankle Assistance},
author = {Eunsung Joo and Changhwan Kim and Seungbin Im and Sumin Helen Koo and Je-Sung Koh},
booktitle = {IROS 2025},
year = {2025}
}