Mechanical Designs for Humanoids Robots: Problems and Solutions

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2015) | Viewed by 16122

Special Issue Editors

Intelligent Robotics Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 Nandajie, Zhongguancun, Haidian, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: robot design; dynamics of multibody systems; manipulators

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considerable advances in humanoid robots are leading to significant new developments both in designs and applications. Current solutions show interesting open issues and wide fields of applications. However, further advances are expected to make humanoid robots convenient and suitable for those news areas and challenges. Thus, it is necessary to properly address the problems and to investigate feasible solutions within frames of mechanical design, which can be considered the core of a robot or humanoid when it is related to human-like mechanics-based operations. This special issue aims to bring together papers that report recent advances and challenges in addressing problems and designing new solutions for improvements of design and implementation of humanoid robots. Original contribution papers are expected with contents that present successful problems and solutions in developing efficient and new mechanical designs for humanoid robots. We believe that this special issue will be useful and informative to both researchers and practitioners. We also hope to deliver readers promising new ideas and directions for future developments of humanoid robots.

Suitable topics for this special issue include but are not limited to:

  • Biomechanics of humans and humanoids
  • Kinematic-based designs
  • Structure design for humanoids
  • Manipulator designs
  • Legged systems
  • Hand and gripping systems
  • System integrations into mechanical design
  • Protections against force interactions and impacts
  • Mechanical transmissions for humanoids
  • Sensors and sensing for humanoids
  • Actuators and joints for humanoids
  • Industrial applications
  • Service applications

Prof. Dr. Marco Ceccarelli
Dr. Hui Li
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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3646 KiB  
Article
Joint Mechanism That Mimics Elastic Characteristics in Human Running
by Takuya Otani, Kenji Hashimoto, Takaya Isomichi, Masanori Sakaguchi, Yasuo Kawakami, Hun-Ok Lim and Atsuo Takanishi
Machines 2016, 4(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010005 - 25 Jan 2016
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7995
Abstract
Analysis of human running has revealed that the motion of the human leg can be modeled by a compression spring because the joints of the leg behave like a torsion spring in the stance phase. In this paper, we describe the development of [...] Read more.
Analysis of human running has revealed that the motion of the human leg can be modeled by a compression spring because the joints of the leg behave like a torsion spring in the stance phase. In this paper, we describe the development of a joint mechanism that mimics the elastic characteristics of the joints of the stance leg. The knee was equipped with a mechanism comprising two laminated leaf springs made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic for adjusting the joint stiffness and a worm gear in order to achieve active movement. Using this mechanism, we were able to achieve joint stiffness mimicking that of a human knee joint that can be adjusted by varying the effective length of one of the laminated leaf springs. The equation proposed for calculating the joint stiffness considers the difference between the position of the fixed point of the leaf spring and the position of the rotational center of the joint. We evaluated the performance of the laminated leaf spring and the effectiveness of the proposed equation for joint stiffness. We were able to make a bipedal robot run with one leg using pelvic oscillation for storing energy produced by the resonance related to leg elasticity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Designs for Humanoids Robots: Problems and Solutions)
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4457 KiB  
Article
A Novel Design for Adjustable Stiffness Artificial Tendon for the Ankle Joint of a Bipedal Robot: Modeling & Simulation
by Aiman Omer, Reza Ghorbani, Kenji Hashimoto, Hun-ok Lim and Atsuo Takanishi
Machines 2016, 4(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010001 - 26 Dec 2015
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7105
Abstract
Bipedal humanoid robots are expected to play a major role in the future. Performing bipedal locomotion requires high energy due to the high torque that needs to be provided by its legs’ joints. Taking the WABIAN-2R as an example, it uses harmonic gears [...] Read more.
Bipedal humanoid robots are expected to play a major role in the future. Performing bipedal locomotion requires high energy due to the high torque that needs to be provided by its legs’ joints. Taking the WABIAN-2R as an example, it uses harmonic gears in its joint to increase the torque. However, using such a mechanism increases the weight of the legs and therefore increases energy consumption. Therefore, the idea of developing a mechanism with adjustable stiffness to be connected to the leg joint is introduced here. The proposed mechanism would have the ability to provide passive and active motion. The mechanism would be attached to the ankle pitch joint as an artificial tendon. Using computer simulations, the dynamical performance of the mechanism is analytically evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Designs for Humanoids Robots: Problems and Solutions)
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