Artificial muscle tentacles
AssigneeLintec of America, Inc.
InventorMarcio Dias Lima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An artificial muscle tentacle and method for manufacturing an artificial muscle tentacle, and a computer readable medium for controlling an artificial muscle tentacle are disclosed. The artificial muscle tentacle includes two spacers and a central core that connects the two spacers. The artificial muscle tentacle also includes at least two Z-Twist actuators and at least two S-Twist actuators. The Z-Twist actuators and the S-Twist actuators are disposed around the central core and in between the two spacers connecting the two spacers. The actuation of one or more of the Z-Twist actuators and the S-Twist actuators actuates the artificial muscle tentacle.
Claims20
An artificial muscle tentacle, comprising:
- two spacers;
- a central core that connects the two spacers, wherein the two spacers are provided at opposing ends of the central core;
- two Z-Twist actuators;
- and
- two S-Twist actuators,
- wherein the two Z-Twist actuators and the two S-Twist actuators, comprising twisted and/or coiled fiber, are disposed, apart from each other, around the central core and extend longitudinally in between the two spacers so as to connect the two spacers, and
- wherein actuation of one or more of the two Z-Twist actuators and the two S-Twist actuators actuates the artificial muscle tentacle.
A method for manufacturing an artificial muscle tentacle, the method comprising:
- disposing a central core in between two spacers provided at opposing ends of the central core;
- disposing, apart from each other, two S-Twist actuators and two Z-Twist actuators, comprising twisted and/or coiled fiber, around the central core and extending longitudinally in between the two spacers,
- wherein the two spacers are connected via the central core, the two S-Twist actuators, and the two Z-Twist actuators;
- and
- the artificial muscle tentacle is configured such that actuation of one or more of the two Z-Twist actuators and the two S-Twist actuators actuates the artificial muscle tentacle.
A non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling an artificial muscle tentacle, comprising instructions to instruct a microcontroller to:
- instigate actuation of a first actuator among at least two Z-Twist and at least two S-Twist actuators in an artificial muscle tentacle, the at least two Z-Twist and at least two S-Twist actuators comprising twisted and/or coiled fiber;
- and
- instigate actuation of a second actuator among the at least two Z-Twist and at least two S-Twist actuators,
- wherein the actuation of the first and second actuators actuates the artificial muscle tentacle, wherein
- the first and second actuators are disposed apart from each other and extend longitudinally in between two spacers provided at opposing ends of the artificial muscle tentacle so as to connect the two spacers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.