Low-Cost and Tough Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (LT-PAM): Design Files and Documentation

This repository contains the complete open-source design files for the Low-Cost and Tough Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (LT-PAM), a McKibben-type soft actuator designed for research and educational use in musculoskeletal and humanoid robotics. The repository includes:- STL files for 3D printing (end plugs and mounting holders)- CAD source files in Autodesk Inventor format (.ipt)- Assembly demonstration video- Complete documentation and assembly instructions Key features:- Material cost: ~USD 5 per actuator- Simple and fast, crimp-based assembly- Tensile capacity: 600-800 N- Durability: >10,000 pressurization cycles- Reproducible fabrication with minimal operator-dependent variability This hardware is described in detail in the accompanying HardwareX article.This design was inspired by and builds upon the open McKibben artificial muscle fabrication recipe originally shared by the Ishikawa Group Laboratory. For the original recipe, see: https://ishikawa-lab.sakura.ne.jp/mckibben_eng All design files are released under the CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 - Permissive (CERN-OHL-P-2.0), and documentation is released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).