foundation-robotics.com
home  >  Portfolio  >  17 May 2013
Human size animatronic legs using Mckibben type pneumatic muscles. 2011
A pair of human sized animatronic legs with attached controller and air supply. The legs have two degrees of freedom at the hips, one at the knee and two at the ankle giving very realistic human type motion and with the pneumatic muscles used the speed is comparable to a human's.

High pressure air at up to 3000psi is supplied through two regulators to a 10bar reservoir tank and then through two further regulators and air valves to ten McKibben type pneumatic muscles. The valves are operated by the attached controller. A series of moves can be recorded on the controller and replayed on demand.

To give the legs the required life-like motion I designed and made special pneumatic muscles based on those invented by Joseph McKibben in 1957.
Everything apart from the standard pneumatic fittings, valves and regulators etc. was made by myself.

Carved foam legs and skeleton with muscles.

Life-cast feet.