A modular pneumatic robotic actuator, including a first elongated hollow structure and a second elongated hollow structure connected to each other at a moveable joint; an inflatable bladder comprised of an elastomeric material disposed at the said joint and immobilized between the first and second hollow structures, wherein the said inflatable bladder inflates preferentially away from the joint; and a restraining membrane comprised of an elastomeric material disposed over the bladder and connecting the first and second hollow structures, wherein the said restraining membrane is relaxed when the bladder is deflated.

A fluid-actuated working cylinder having a cylinder housing enclosing a cylinder chamber and having a cylinder tube whose inner circumferential surface forms a piston running surface for a piston arranged in the cylinder chamber wherein the cylinder tube is a composite body having a tubular inner layer and a tubular support jacket surrounding the tubular inner layer with a radial support effect and wherein the tubular inner layer is made of a diffusion-tight glass material or ceramic material, while the support jacket has a cellulose-containing and/or lignin-containing material structure.

A dual-direction piston-based actuator housing assembly has a housing disposed over a hollow cylindrical liner configured to accept within a movable piston. A compression block having a pin engagement hole is disposed adjacent to a proximal end of the liner. A tension strap is disposed over the compression block, the tension strap starting from a first end near the proximal end of the liner, extending around the engagement hole and back to a second end near the proximal end of the liner. An overwind extends over the first and second ends of the tension strap, over the compression block, and over the proximal end of the housing. A tension clip is disposed at the distal end of the liner and embedded within the housing. The housing, tension strap and overwind may be a continuous fiber reinforced plastic composite and the compression block may be a chopped fiber filled thermoplastic composite.

Artificial muscles comprising a body of dielectric elastomer, wherein the body contains a pair of microfluidic networks are presented. Each microfluidic network includes a plurality of channels fluidically coupled via a manifold. The channels of the microfluidic networks are interdigitated and filled with conductive fluid such that each set of adjacent channels functions as the electrodes of an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator. By using the manifolds as compliant wiring to energize the electrodes, artificial muscles in accordance with the present disclosure mitigate some or all of the reliability problems associated with prior-art artificial muscles.

A fiber reinforced actuator includes first and second sets of fibers coupled with and arranged along a control volume to controllably constrain mobility of an actuator body. Fibers of the first set can be arranged with respect to fibers of the second set and with respect to a central axis to impart the actuator with various combinations of torsional and axial force responses. A third fiber may be included to form a helical actuator. A plurality of actuators can be coupled together for coordinated movement, thereby providing additional mobility directions, such as trans-actuator bending. The fiber-reinforced actuators and actuator assemblies are potential low cost, low energy consumption, lightweight, and simple replacements for existing motion devices such as servo-motor driven robots.

An artificial muscle system includes an artificial muscle and a power supply. The artificial muscle includes an electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode, an electrical insulator membrane fixed to the second electrode, a housing including an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, the electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, and a dielectric fluid housed within the housing. The power supply includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The positive terminal is electrically coupled to the second electrode. The negative terminal is electrically coupled to the first electrode. The electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

Soft pneumatic actuators based on composites consisting of elastomers with embedded sheet or fiber structures (e.g., paper or fabric) that are flexible but not extensible are described. On pneumatic inflation, these actuators move anisotropically, based on the motions accessible by their composite structures. They are inexpensive, simple to fabricate, light in weight, and easy to actuate. This class of structure is versatile: the same principles of design lead to actuators that respond to pressurization with a wide range of motions (bending, extension, contraction, twisting, and others). Paper, when used to introduce anisotropy into elastomers, can be readily folded into three-dimensional structures following the principles of origami; these folded structures increase the stiffness and anisotropy of the elastomeric actuators, while keeping them light in weight.

A piston rod and a rod cover which constitute this hydraulic cylinder are configured from aluminum or an aluminum alloy. An alumite coating film is formed on at least a part of the inner wall surface of the rod cover that constitutes a rod insertion hole, and a diamond-like carbon coating film is formed on the outer wall surface of the piston rod, said diamond-like carbon coating film being in sliding contact with the alumite coating film.

An actuator includes a piston and a housing. The piston includes a piston shaft that is configured to reciprocate within the housing. The actuator also includes a conductor coupled to the piston within the housing and configured to electrically couple the piston to the housing as the piston reciprocates within the housing.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator having even better durability than the conventional actuator. Specifically, an actuator has an actuator main body constituted of a cylindrical tube capable of expanding/contracting by hydraulic pressure and a sleeve for covering an outer peripheral surface of the tube, the sleeve having a cylindrical structure formed by cords woven to be disposed in predetermined directions, wherein: the inner diameter r.sub.0 (mm) of the tube, the thickness t (mm) of the tube, the storage elastic modulus E′ (MPa) of the tube at 25° C., and the mesh aperture ratio A of the cords constituting the sleeve in a pressurized state satisfy the following formula (1):

50≤E′×(t/r.sub.0)/A≤600   (1)