Engineers from Ajou University and Samsung Electronics have developed an artificial muscle actuator based on
The drive consists of two elastic plates andshape memory alloy wires embedded in several rows between the plates. The arc-like elliptical shape of the actuator amplifies the low voltage required to actuate the actuator. In their paper published in Nature Communications, the engineers explain that the special configuration provides high actuation strain and force compared to other amplification mechanisms.
The work of the muscle drive. Video: Dongjin Kim et al., Nature Communications
The new drive is easy to manufacture in different scales,researchers add. The experimental sample described in the study weighs 0.22 g, but has a maximum actuation force of 300% with an external payload of 80 g. At the same time, its specific power (1.7 kW / kg) is more than 8 times higher than that of biological muscles (about 0.2 kW/kg).
The developers note that the new drive due tolow weight and high efficiency can be widely used in augmented reality and robotics applications. In their work, they showed how using a drive can improve AR glasses. The engineers used a drive to control the depth of the image. The device changes the physical distance between the display and the optical system depending on the focus. This reduces vergence-accommodative conflict, which can cause visual fatigue in some users.
Using a muscle drive to change the focal length. Image: Dongjin Kim et al., Nature Communications
Scientists have also shown that the combination of severalActuators can be used to improve the sensory experience in VR devices. Drives with a high force-to-weight ratio transmit deformation to the skin better. The study showed that several new actuators in a limited area of the gloves improve the tactile experience for users of the VR system.
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