ABSTRACT
A wide variety of pneumatic actuators have been developed for air services that convert the energy of pressured air into useful work. Pneumatic actuators can be divided into three groups: (1) linear actuators, (2) rotary actuators, and (3) pneumatic motors. Basically, rotary actuators provide a single rotation of up to 360
°
; however, in a number of cases, rotary actuators can be used with a rotating angle of up to 720
°
. Pneumatic actuators are the components whose performance and cost can
be the deciding factor in selecting pneumatic technology rather than another actuation technique. The main trends of pneumatic actuator development include increasing the efficiency, improving the power-to-weight ratio, and construction rationalization, as well as proposing new types of devices.
