A Novel Design and Realization of Robot Arm Based on the Principle of Bi-articular Muscles

Recently there are many trials to introduce animal characteristics into robots. Conventional robot arm has only actuators similar to mono-articular muscles. Though animal's arm has not only mono-articular muscles but also bi-articular muscles. Existence of bi-articular muscles can give robots remarkable ability to realize various motions without feedback control, which may provide skillfulness and safety like animals. In this paper, we consider some properties of robot arm based on the principle of bi-articular muscles. We suggest a driving mechanism using equilibrium position originated muscular elasticity. This mechanism realize trajectory tracking as feedforward control in simulations. Finally we described our attempt to make a robot arm based on the principle of bi-articular muscles.

[1]  N. Hogan.  Adaptive control of mechanical impedance by coactivation of antagonist muscles , 1984 .

[2]  Neville Hogan,et al.  On the stability of manipulators performing contact tasks , 1988, IEEE J. Robotics Autom..

[3]  E. Bizzi,et al.  Neural, mechanical, and geometric factors subserving arm posture in humans , 1985, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

[4]  Tomohiko Fujikawa,et al.  Functional Evaluation of Effective Muscular Strength Based on a Muscle Coordinate System Composed of Bi-articular and Mono-articular Muscles. Simplified Measurement Technique of Output Force Distribution. , 2001 .

[5]  Tomohiko Fujikawa,et al.  Mechanical Properties of Robot Arm Operated with Muscle Coordinate System Consisted of Bi-articular Muscles and Mono-articular Muscles. Muscle Contractile Forces and Viscoelastic Properties of Robot Arm. , 2000 .

[6]  T. Oshima,et al.  Control properties induced by the existence of antagonistic pairs of bi-articular muscles-Mechanical engineering model analyses , 1994 .

[7]  水頼 熊本,et al.  ヒトの腓腹筋である二関節筋の装備が跳躍運動に及ぼす影響(機械力学,計測,自動制御) , 2003 .

[8]  Toshio Tsuji,et al.  The Bilinear Characteristics of Muscle-Skeletomotor System and the Application to Prosthesis Control , 1985 .

[9]  M. Bobbert,et al.  The unique action of bi-articular muscles in complex movements. , 1987, Journal of anatomy.

[10]  Toru Oshima,et al.  Jump Mechanism using Coordination Function of Bi-articular Muscle in Knee and Ankle Joint , 2005 .