Path Tracking Control for Single-Axial Dual Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

This study develops a novel pneumatic actuator system driven by single-axial dual PMAs and connected to a horizontal linear slider which moves on a slippery track by controlling contraction and extension of the PMA's. The dual PMAs have a mutual push-pull effect and greatly reduce displacement hysteresis after a single PMA is deflated. In the control system, a Fourier series-based adaptive sliding mode controller with H-infinity (FSB-ASMC+H-infinity) tracking performance is used firstly to control the path tracking for the PMAs. This method of control prevents approximate errors, interference and un-modeled dynamic characteristics and guarantees that the whole system gives H-infinity positioning performance. Finally, the proposed novel single-axis dual PMAs system is implemented and verified experimentally.