Hydraulic Miniature Actuators Controlled by Electrorheological Fluid

Inhalt:
As minimally invasive interventions and robotic assistance systems gain in importance in modern medicine, actuators with dimensions small enough to fit into compact surgical instruments are needed. Hydraulic actuators possess high potential for this application, as their high energy density and simple mechanical design are superior to common mechanical principles. However, implementing hydraulic actuators in medical instruments also requires large peripheral components such as valves. The aim of this work is to examine the possibility of using an electrorheological fluid as a hydraulic medium in an actuator system. An electrorheological valve was designed and connected to a small hydraulic actuator. Experiments showed that the valve can be used to switch more than 500 kPa pressure and movement of the actuator can be controlled by electric signal.