Finite element analysis (FEA) deformation model of McKibben actuator using simscape multibody in MATLAB

Abstract

Researchers proposed different Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models to comprehend the actuator’s attribute, and it is essential to ascertain more about the characteristics of the deformation of the McKibben actuator. This paper presented a 3D FEA models by using Simscape Multibody Library in MATLAB to gain a better cognition of the bending angle of the unidirectional and bidirectional bending experiments. It can also be utilized to predict the motion of the bending experiments in different quantities of the McKibben actuators. Tracker™ application evaluated the performance of this methodology. From the simulation result, the trace of the actuators is easy to display. In a nutshell, the increasing number of actuators leads to the rising range of the bending angle. This work will benefit researchers who need to utilize the deformation of the McKibben actuator in the experiment as it can vividly show the McKibben actuator’s deformation in 3D simulation.