IROS Conference 2025 Conference Paper
Analysis and Experiment of a Pneumatic Linear Actuator Actuated by both Positive and Negative Pressures
- Weijian Ni
- Yufei Hao
- Lei Bao
- Xuemei Shan
- Jianhua Zhang
This paper establishes an analytical model for a dual-pressure-actuated pneumatic linear actuator, investigating the relationship between the output force of the linear actuator and both the pressure differential and displacement. Experiments were designed to validate the model. The maximum output force of the linear actuator under negative pressure (-40 kPa) is 100 N, while under hybrid air pressure (negative pressure -40kPa combined with positive pressure 40 kPa), the maximum output force significantly increases to approximately 210 N, demonstrating that dual pressure driving can substantially enhance output performance. The analytical results exhibit excellent agreement with experimental data under low-pressure conditions, with a maximum relative error of only 5%. Furthermore, comparisons with a flexible bellows of the same dimensions confirm that the linear actuator also exhibits high stiffness. Finally, potential applications of the linear actuator in daily life are discussed.