Applications of Magnetic Functional Fluids to Soft Actuators

Abstract

　Magnetorheological fluid (MRF) which is one kind of magnetic functional fluids has a great potential to improve components in robotic systems, including actuators, dampers, clutches, and so on, by enhancing existing functions and adding new functions. The application of the MRF could bring the intrinsic backdrivablity and high responsiveness to those robot components. Therefore, this paper introduces several examples of application of the MRF to robot components by focusing on powerfulness, backdrivability, and responsiveness.