Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 9.30
Human skeletal arm muscles.
sources, power converters, sensors, and actuators into a complete exoskeleton system
will not be discussed here because it is beyond the scope of the topic.
Some preliminary results obtained in our research have clearly established that
such integrated anthropomorphic systems can be designed and made operational as
exoskeletal power augmentation systems on human skeletons.
Figure 9.31(a) depicts “Myster Bony” of our Artificial Muscle Research Institute
riding an exercycle while equipped with a system of polymeric contractile muscles.
Figure 9.31(b) depicts a schematic of an astronaut in his or her pressurized space
suit equipped with joint power augmentation artificial muscles. These systems are
intended to improve the quality of an individual and can be extended to power
augmentation of pressurized space suits for astronauts (fig. 9.31(b)), empowering
paraplegics, quadriplegics, and disabled and elderly people, as well as a variety of
other robotic and medical applications.
9.2.9
M
ICROELECTROMECHANICAL
S
YSTEMS
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microrobots made with electroactive
polymers, and, in particular, IPMNCs represent an enabling technology for manu-
facturing sensor and actuator microarrays, disposable microbiosensors for real-time
medical applications, and a variety of microfabrication processes requiring the
manipulation of small objects. The IPMNC actuator microarrays will have immediate
applications in micromirror-based photonic optical fiber switches. IPMNC micro-
grippers are actuated with low voltages (less than 0.5 V), are fast (minimum of 50-
Hz bandwidth), and can be cut arbitrarily small (see fig. 9.32) from sheets of the
IPMNC material (a typical thickness of 30
µ
m; see fig. 9.32).
