Recruited dielectric elastomer motor units as a pseudomuscular actuator

This paper presents a strategy of design, realization and control of pseudomuscular actuator controllable in position and compliance. The actuator was designed as a bundle of electromechanical actuating elements, made by dielectric elastomers. The control strategy was inspired to the Feldman's biological muscle model. Presented simulations show that opportune recruitments of the bundle active units enable a satisfying approximation of the quadratic length-force characteristic of the biological muscle.