Development of assistive robotic arm for power line maintenance

Abstract

In Japan, deterioration of electric power supply systems has been accompanied by a steady increase in the quantity of maintenance work. Since such work on the bucket of an elevated work vehicle is extremely hard for the workers, innovations are required to save labor. Some robotic systems attached to the bucket have been researched, however, they are remotely operated and their operability is not so good. Therefore, we propose and develop a new assistive robotic arm that can be operated directly and easily by only one worker on the bucket. It is practical, easy to install, and relatively light weight. This system consists of three arms and each arm has 4 DOF and one semi-fixed joint. The arm end can be extended from the level of the operator's hands to a height of about 1 m above his head for safety work then retracted to replace one specialized tool with another. An operation grip is located near the arm base and the arm moves in direction the grip is pushed. This grip also equips smart mechanism for permitting the operator to sense the reaction force on the end tools. A prototype robotic arm was made and some operating tests were carried out to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed human-robot cooperation system.