3D printing offers exciting new possibilities when looking at how things can be produced. Nowadays, 3D printers can use multiple materials such as stiff plastics, flexible materials and, most interestingly, conductive materials.
The goal of the Bachelor thesis is to fully 3D print a sensorized pneumatic artificial muscle. The pneumatic artificial muscle will behave similarly to a McKibben actuator. This means that, when pressurised, the actuator needs to contract and produce a pulling force. Then, in order to accurately control the pneumatic artificial muscle, self-sensing will be built into the actuator.