Sarcomere Inspired Linear Actuator

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Designing an electrical actuator that can truly match the power/weight ratio needed. for an 'active' ankle or knee prosthesis presents significant technical challenges and isthe driver for this research project. The new actuator must provide a cost-effective,highly compact and more powerful unit able to fit within the volume of the absent limbsections and must offer significantly improved user 'controllability' over devicescurrently on the market, oelivering performance through a user interface compatiblewith normal human expectation and therefore be more intuitive and easier to control.Elumotion's target is that actuator components will be electrically controlled with nomechanical engagement. This should permit body generated free-swing of the·prosthetic limb, making use, whenever possible, of 'passive dynamics' so enablingconservation of portable power supplies and preservation of the wearers naturalwalking gait. Further advantages are anticipated from noise-free operation, robustnessto contaminant ingress and the potential for long duty cycles due to high efficienciesand the absence of wearing surfaces. The new actuator is expected to be attractive asa replacement for existing actuators in robotic, industrial, medical, automotive andaerospace applications - offering a significantly more controllable and more reliablecomponent. In particular being able to control the actuator in a shock absorbing modemay be particularly attractive to industrial automation and process control, wheremanufacturing downtime can occur from assemblies that collide and fail as they do notpossess a shock absorbing feature.