Design and realization of a two-armed multifunctional companion robot with electronic game board

Abstract

The goal of this research is to design and produce a desktop multifunctional companion robot capable of interaction with persons by the use of a touch panel game board. The robot is equipped with 2 multi-joint arms in order to play various board games through the electronic game board. A multifunctional electronic game board is developed so as to eliminate the drawbacks of inconsistent visual recognition due to varied illumination conditions. A unique mechanical compliance mechanism is created to protect the actuators of robot arms. A small torque limit mechanism is placed between the actuators and the mechanism so that when an excessive amount of external force is experienced, the actuator and the mechanism will slide with the force to limit damage to the actuators. Once the force is removed the arm will slide back into its original position. The design makes the robotic arm more resistant and completely maintains the accuracy of the positioning control, reducing the need for other sensors.