Co-axial Linear-Rotary Actuator with Braided McKibben Artificial Muscles

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel 2 DOF rotary-linear actuator driven by pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs). This simple tubular actuator comprises some PAMs that are braided, glued, and driven periodically to realize rotary and linear motions, which makes the proposed device lighter, cheaper, and easier to sterilize. The elasticity of PAMs and the pneumatic control system without electricity or magnetic power enables the actuator to safely operate not only near a human but also under a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. In light of these advantages, the proposed actuator is expected to be suitable for a laparoscopic surgical instrument. The operation principles and structure of the actuator are explained in this paper, along with the design of a prototype, which was confirmed to be able to drive a 10[mm] diameter laparoscopy, in linear and rotary directions.