Research Summaries

Back 3D-Printable Biomimetic Artificial Muscles for Stealthy UUV Propulsion and Exoskeletal Locomotion

Fiscal Year 2021
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Physics
Investigator(s) Kartalov, Emil P.
Sponsor Office of Naval Research (Navy)
Summary The Navy's 30-year R&D plan heavily emphasizes fleets of drones, e.g. underwater unmanned vehicles (UUV). Improved stealth would be a great advantage to such UUVs, particularly in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. This can be achieved by biomimetic propulsion based on artificial muscles. Such propulsion would avoid cavitation and offer acoustic translucence. Independently, artificial muscles are also a potential solution for low-weight power-efficient actuators necessary for locomotion of wearable armored exoskeletons and walker ground vehicles. Such would revolutionize ground warfare and drastically increase survivability and protection for ground forces. Hence, artificial muscles have high naval relevance and potential impact. Herein, we propose to continue the development of our artificial muscles. These devices are based on stacks of microcapacitors connected in parallel and arranged in a row producing a muscle fiber. Parallel fibers form muscle fiber bundles. Applying voltage to the capacitors would generate electrostatic force of contraction that scales as the inverse square of the plate separation, thereby producing stronger forces as the individual device shrinks in size. In the proposed project, we will expand the COMSOL simulation matrices, optimize the geometries of the devices, and then 3D print and test prototypes, to close the loop and produce optimized high-output devices.
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Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal