%0 Journal Article
%T Theoretical Hill-Type Muscle and Stability: Numerical Model and Application
%A S. Schmitt
%A M. G¨¹nther
%A T. Rupp
%A A. Bayer
%A D. H£¿ufle
%J Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/570878
%X The construction of artificial muscles is one of the most challenging developments in today¡¯s biomedical science. The application of artificial muscles is focused both on the construction of orthotics and prosthetics for rehabilitation and prevention purposes and on building humanoid walking machines for robotics research. Research in biomechanics tries to explain the functioning and design of real biological muscles and therefore lays the fundament for the development of functional artificial muscles. Recently, the hyperbolic Hill-type force-velocity relation was derived from simple mechanical components. In this contribution, this theoretical yet biomechanical model is transferred to a numerical model and applied for presenting a proof-of-concept of a functional artificial muscle. Additionally, this validated theoretical model is used to determine force-velocity relations of different animal species that are based on the literature data from biological experiments. Moreover, it is shown that an antagonistic muscle actuator can help in stabilising a single inverted pendulum model in favour of a control approach using a linear torque generator. 1. Introduction Research in muscle biomechanics, a vital and broad field for over 80 years now (A.V. Hill 1922: Nobel prize in physiology and medicine for his discovery relating to the production of heat in the muscle), explains the function and design of real biological muscles and therefore lays the fundament for the development of functional artificial muscles. Nevertheless, structure and functioning of biological muscles are not (yet) fully understood. In biology, microscopic muscle models are able to predict muscle characteristics and functioning of biological muscles quite well [1¨C9]. Unfortunately and as a tradeoff, they require a large number of parameters. In a bionics approach it is an enormous challenge to realise all these properties of biological muscle in one artificial muscle at once [10]. Macroscopic muscle models are commonly based on phenomenology. Macroscopic muscle models are indeed of (limited) predictive character but do not incorporate any structural knowledge. Recently, the nonlinear (hyperbolic-like) Hill-type force-velocity relation was derived from simple mechanical components [11]. It was shown that a contractile element (CE) consisting of a mechanical energy source (active element AE), a parallel damper element (PDE), and a serial element (SE) exhibits operating points with nonlinear (hyperbola-like) force-velocity dependency. In this concept, the force-velocity relation is no longer
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cmmm/2013/570878/