Smart Fluid Actuators

智能流体具有在施加电场或磁场时改变其物理性质的独特性质。特别地，磁流变流体（MRF）现在用于许多商业应用中，例如汽车减震器，以半主动方式控制车辆运动。这个加拿大研究主席研究了一个完全主动的执行器设计范例，使用磁流变液的机器人和机电一体化系统。通过在连续滑动下调制MRF离合器的扭矩，这种新方法导致一类新的致动器系统，其具有直接驱动电磁致动器的高带宽，同时具有液压致动器的力密度。此外，MRF基本上是可靠的，因为它们没有可能导致机械堵塞的直接金属对金属接触。这些特性使得需要高性能和轻量化的新应用成为可能，例如飞机飞行控制。加拿大研究主席的工作将通过以下方式开发使能知识和技术：（1）了解MRF老化和开发持久的MR流体，以及（2）开发利用这种新型执行器的最佳机器人系统架构。

Smart fluids have the unique property of changing their physical properties upon application of electric or magnetic fields. In particular, MagnetoRheological Fluids (MRF) are now used in many commercial applications such as automotive shock absorbers to control vehicle motion in a semi-active way. This Canada Research Chair studies a fully-active actuator design paradigm using MRF for robotics and mechatronics systems. By modulating the torque of MRF clutches under continuous slippage, this new approach leads a new class of actuator systems that have the high bandwidths of direct-drive electromagnetic actuators while having the force density of hydraulic actuators. Further, MRF are fundamentally reliable since they have no direct metal-to-metal contacts that can lead to mechanical jams. Such characteristics enable new applications where high performance and lightweight is needed such as aircraft flight control. The Canada Research Chair work will develop enabling knowledge and technologies by: (1) understanding MRF aging and developing long lasting MR fluids, and (2) developing optimal robotic system architectures exploiting this new class of actuators.