Pneumatic artificial muscles

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are contractile or extensional devices operated by <a href="/facts/Compressed_air/KEjxE7DG">pressurized air</a> filling a <a href="/facts/Pneumatic_bladder/HExdAUbh">pneumatic bladder</a>. In an approximation of human muscles, pneumatic <a href="/facts/Artificial_muscles/NnXB8oLm">artificial muscles</a> are usually grouped in pairs: one <a href="/facts/Agonist_(muscle)/jTk8Hjay">agonist</a> and one <a href="/facts/Antagonist_(muscle)/jTk8Hjay">antagonist</a>.
PAMs were first developed (under the name of <a href="/facts/Joseph_Laws_McKibben/vSAmA7uQ">McKibben</a> Artificial Muscles) in the 1950s for use in artificial limbs. The <a href="/facts/Bridgestone/Psgl8qe7">Bridgestone</a> <a href="/facts/Rubber/CbsjJxhY">rubber</a> company (<a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a>) commercialized the idea in the 1980s under the name of Rubbertuators.
The retraction strength of the PAM is limited by the sum total strength of individual fibers in the woven shell. The exertion distance is limited by the tightness of the weave; a very loose weave allows greater bulging, which further twists individual fibers in the weave.
One example of a complex configuration of air muscles is the <a href="/facts/Shadow_Hand/aLbAJhA4">Shadow Dexterous Hand</a> developed by the Shadow Robot Company, which also sells a range of muscles for integration into other projects/systems.

Pneumatic artificial muscles open-in-new

Pneumatic artificial muscles