2016/04/28 by Steven Lessard, Lessard, Steven, Dennis Castro +13
Engineering · #Advanced Materials and Mechanics #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence #Robotics (cs.RO) #Structural Analysis and Optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1604.08667
openalex publication_date 2016/04/28 · openalex created_date 2022/10/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Most traditional robotic mechanisms feature inelastic joints that are unable\nto robustly handle large deformations and off-axis moments. As a result, the\napplied loads are transferred rigidly throughout the entire structure. The\ndisadvantage of this approach is that the exerted leverage is magnified at each\nsubsequent joint possibly damaging the mechanism. In this paper, we present two\nlightweight, elastic, bio-inspired tensegrity robotics arms which mitigate this\ndanger while improving their mechanism's functionality. Our solutions feature\nmodular tensegrity structures that function similarly to the human elbow and\nthe human shoulder when connected. Like their biological counterparts, the\nproposed robotic joints are flexible and comply with unanticipated forces. Both\nproposed structures have multiple passive degrees of freedom and four active\ndegrees of freedom (two from the shoulder and two from the elbow). The\nstructural advantages demonstrated by the joints in these manipulators\nillustrate a solution to the fundamental issue of elegantly handling off-axis\ncompliance.\n