Paper Title
Design of Intelligent Proportional Control Valve System for Linear Pneumatic Actuators

Abstract
In applications where there is a need of flexibility to control the output pressure or flow, proportional control is vital. Proportional control valves are used to convert a variable current or voltage signal into a proportional compressed air output. Based on the analysis of the work principle and control requirements, the author presents an alternative hardware design and structure of the control system and its control strategy. Moreover, its trial-and-error tests on a linear pneumatic actuated machine are discussed in detail. The experimental control system has advantages such as simplicity, suitability for pre-testing of pneumatic machines requiring proportional compressed air control, flexibility and ease of programming, and is cost effective than the traditional method where proportional control valves are used. The pneumatic machine that has been used as an experimental base is an upper-torso exoskeleton that uses pneumatic artificial muscles for actuation. The usage of development board and through task specific programming approach, successful results were achieved. Keywords - Pneumatic, Control, Valves, Proportional, Servo, Pressure, Compression, Artificial, Muscle, Proportional, Pam, Exoskeleton, Arduino, JarvisLite.