So... I need to clarify: I’m not an engineer or a university student.

I was trying to read a myriad of different papers in an attempt of finding a way of calculating how much force, pressure and dimensions I should make McKibben Artificial muscles.

But as you can guess, my level of expertise didn’t help and I couldn’t really grasp the equations and evaluations needed to make conceptualise the artificial muscles

I intend to make a 5 ton hydraulic McKibben muscle, but I don’t know the dimensions I should make it. I do not have the materials, so I was trying to find a simplified way of guessing the general numbers (dimensions, pressure, force) required for it.

I tried using the basic “triangle equation” for Force, Pressure or Area. "F = P x A" or "A = F ÷ P", but this formula is meant to be used for solid hydraulic cylinders, not artificial muscles.

But I tried to calculate the surface area of a solid cylinder with the same dimensions of the muscle. With 30 cm of length, 5 cm of radius, which would have a surface area of 170.3 in² (1099cm²).

F = P x A

And the result was 10200 pounds (4626,6422 kg).

However, this equation is meant to be for the surface of a hydraulic piston, but the surface input was the entire membrane. So I’m assuming that is the force applied to the membrane, how much of that force would be translated into linear action?