A simple time-predicting-based pressure control method for soft pneumatic actuators using on/off solenoid valves

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.