A simple time-predicting-based pressure control method for soft pneumatic actuators using on/off solenoid valves
Wen Zhou, Yiqing Li, Tengfei Zheng, Chaohui Wang
Abstract
The study of soft pneumatic actuator control techniques is an important research topic in soft robotics. However, much of the research has concentrated on upper-level control algorithms, with little attention paid to the bottom-level pneumatic controller. This work aims to develop a simple, low cost, and quick-response pressure controller for soft pneumatic actuators. The controller is designed based on an on/off valve-driven pneumatic supply system, which is high speed, economical, and easy to set up. Using the actual pneumatic properties of a controlled object to estimate the switching time of the valves, the controller avoids complex nonlinear pneumatic computation and can achieve a high control frequency. Experiments demonstrate that the controller performs well in terms of speed and precision, having practical value in the control of soft actuators.