Impulse Modeling and New Impulse Measure for Human-Like Closed-Chain Manipulator

This letter presents the advantages of human-like closed-chain architecture through the analytical computation of internal impulses experienced at joints and external impulses felt at the end point of the human-like manipulator during interaction with environment. The proposed human-like architecture consists of multiple closed-chains which are corresponding to mono- and biarticular muscles of the human-body. Especially, we investigate the contribution of mass and effect of change of mass of mono- and biarticular muscle models on external and internal impulses. The roles of mass of monoarticular and biarticular muscle models on internal and external impulses are analyzed in terms of new impulse measures. As an illustrative example, a 2-DOF manipulator resembling the musculoskeletal structure of the human upper extremity is introduced to examine the external and internal impulses, based on the proposed analytical tools. And it is discovered through simulation and experiment work that by increasing the mass of muscle models the external impulse is increased and internal impulses are decreased. Furthermore, it is observed that biarticular muscle models contribute more in external impulse and monoarticular muscle models absorbed more internal impulses than biarticular muscle models.