Abstract
In most robotics simulations, human joints (e.g., hips and knees) are assumed to be revolute joints with limited range rotations. However, this approach neglects the internal flexibility of the joint, which could present a significant drawback in some applications. We propose a tensegrity-inspired robotic manipulator that can replicate the kinematic behavior of the human leg. The design of the hip and knee resembles the musculoskeletal connections within the human body. Our implementation represents muscles, tendons and ligament connections as cables, and bones as rods. This particular design manipulates muscles to replicate a human-like gait, which demonstrates its potential for use as an anatomically correct assistive device (prosthetic, exoskeleton, etc.). Using the OpenSim 3.0 simulation environment, we estimated the kinematics and structural integrity of the proposed flexural joint design and determined the actuation strategies for our prototype. Kinematics for the prototype include the mechanical limitations and constraints derived from the simulations. We compared the simulation, physical prototype, and human leg behaviors for various ranges of motion and demonstrated the potential for using OpenSim 3.0 as a flexible–rigid modeling and simulation environment.
Highlights
The human body consists of a musculoskeletal system to facilitate locomotion
Rigid manipulators often consist of revolute joints with stiff linkages, which are suitable for precise movements; they can be structurally damaged by sudden impacts [8,9]
Normal gait requires a complex design and, due to this being a proof of concept tensegrity-inspired design, we focused our attention on aligning the biomechanics and robotic manipulators within the same system to prove that it is capable of more
Summary
The human body consists of a musculoskeletal system to facilitate locomotion. This system is composed of rigid and flexible components such as bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to distribute stresses and maintain structural integrity [1,2,3] to respond to external stimuli (e.g., forces).Most robotic systems are either rigid to maximize load bearing [4,5], or soft to optimize compliance to the environment or promote soft interactions [6,7]. The human body consists of a musculoskeletal system to facilitate locomotion. This system is composed of rigid and flexible components such as bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to distribute stresses and maintain structural integrity [1,2,3] to respond to external stimuli (e.g., forces). Rigid manipulators often consist of revolute joints with stiff linkages, which are suitable for precise movements (e.g., industrial manufacturing robots); they can be structurally damaged by sudden impacts [8,9]. The compromise solution often applied in assistive robotics connects rigid structural elements using compliant joints [13], or actuators [14]
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