Examination of an optical fiber sensor combination for a flat-string type integrated artificial muscle

Abstract

In this study, we are developing a flat-string type integrated artificial muscle (FIAM) that consists of thin McKibben-type artificial muscles by a flat-string string-making machine. The FIAM has features such as flexibility, lightweight, thinness, and high contraction ratio. In this report, we examined the combination of an optical fiber sensor for the displacement estimation of the FIAM. The optical fiber was integrated into the FIAM as a sensor, and it was confirmed that the sensor output changes with the contraction of the FIAM.