Design and control of artificial muscles for robotic applications

This dissertation presents the development of modeling and control architectures for innovative robotic devices powered by artificial muscles. It focuses on developing theoretical models to design and describe the behavior of artificial muscles—specifically twisted and coiled artificial muscles (TCAMs), twisted and spiraled artificial muscles (TSAMs), and NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) muscles—and on implementing robust control algorithms for real-time applications. The research addresses various applications, including rehabilitation robotics, underwater exploration, and robotic surgery, by modeling, manufacturing, and testing a range of devices.