Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
9-2024
Journal
International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)
Abstract
Fabric cooling channels for twisted coiled actuators (TCAs) were recently proposed to achieve the required response times for motion assistance in a manner suitable for soft wearable robotic devices. While previous work demonstratedthat the fabric channel reduced the cooling time by 42% in comparison to the same TCA without the cooling channel, the TCAs were still not cooled quickly enough to support human motion. Therefore, in this paper, two variations to the channel are proposed to further reduce the cooling time of the TCAs. The variations include unsealing the inlet and adding vents along the length of the channel to take advantage of air entrainment and natural convection. While both variations reduced the cooling time on their own, when they were employed together there was a 34% reduction in cooling time compared to the original channel design (19.1 °æ 2.4 s vs. 13.5 °æ 0.9 s, p < 0.001). This decrease occurred without any significant differences in the stroke or heating time of the TCA. The modified channel was then compared to the TCA without the cooling apparatus and the cooling time was reduced by 57% (25.1 °æ 1.7 s vs. 14.0 °æ 1.2 s, p < 0.001). This work advances the development of a cooling system for TCAs, making it suitable for soft wearable robotic devices by improving portability, and thereby enabling their use in wearable devices for rehabilitation applications.
Notes
2024 International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob), Heidelberg, Germany, Sep 2024.
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